The UK government has committed an extra £120 million for Earth observation programs as part of its contribution to the European Space Agency’s budget.
Announced at the ESA Council of Ministers in Bremen last week, the funding will support mission studies and harness data from climate and environment monitoring satellites, according to the UK Government.
It comes on top of EO commitments the UK has already made to ESA, bringing the total to approximately £471 million allocated for ESA Earth observation projects over the next four years.
Some of that £471 million comes from money redistributed from funds previously allocated to the now-cancelled TRUTHS climate monitoring mission.
The commitment to ESA also includes:
- £162 million for launch programs, including the European Launcher Challenge;
- £131 million for the UK-led (in partnership with the US) Vigil mission to monitor and forecast dangerous space weather;
- £57 million investment in advanced position, navigation and timing technologies;
- £261 million for the Commercialisation program, General Support Technology Program and Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems program.
The UK government says it has boosted its space sector core civil space budget through the UK Space Agency by 8% this year and has announced a further £2.8 billion over the coming four years to 2030.
And yet in August, it was announced that the UK Space Agency would be shuttered as a standalone body and instead would be absorbed into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology by mid-next year.
The new departmental unit will retain the UK Space Agency name and will be staffed by people from the soon-to-be-defunct agency and departmental specialists.
The government claims the move will reduce duplication and bureaucracy, increase accountability and provide clearer ministerial oversight.
