UKSA
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is the UK government body responsible for the civil space program, established in 2010 and headquartered in Swindon.
- Founded
- 2010
- Headquarters
- Swindon, United Kingdom
- Ownership
- Government
Quick Facts
About UKSA
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is the UK government body responsible for the civil space program, established in 2010 and headquartered in Swindon. UKSA manages approximately £600 million in annual space investment, coordinates UK contributions to ESA programs (the UK is ESA's third-largest contributor), and regulates commercial spaceflight under the Space Industry Act 2018. The agency supports UK satellite manufacturing — including companies like SSTL and Airbus UK — and has been actively developing domestic launch capabilities following the Space Industry Act.
UKSA contributed to the Rosetta comet mission, the Beagle 2 Mars lander, and ExoMars, and manages UK participation in Copernicus Earth observation. The agency's National Space Strategy (2021) targets making the UK a leading space nation, with goals in launch services, satellite applications, and space manufacturing. The UK's space sector generates approximately £18.6 billion in income and employs about 55,000 people.
Products and product lines
| Product | Line | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity in LEO (C-LEO) Programme | Funding instrument | UK government funding programme for satellite-communications technology; received a further £42 million in July 2026 on top of earlier tranches. |
| SaxaVord Spaceport | Launch site | Shetland vertical-launch spaceport backed with £30 million in the UK's September 2026 Space Strategy; hosts Rocket Factory Augsburg's exclusive orbital pad and HyImpulse. |
| National Space Strategy (2026) | Strategy and funding programme | UK government strategy published 8 September 2026 committing £7.8 billion through 2030 to launch, space domain awareness and defence-linked space capabilities. |
| National Space Operations Centre | Space domain awareness facility | UK facility for tracking orbital objects and detecting space-based threats, receiving £85 million under the 2026 Space Strategy. |
| ESA Vigil mission contribution | Space-weather mission funding | UK funds ESA's Vigil space-weather monitoring mission with £149 million under the 2026 Space Strategy. |
| National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) / Accelerator | Startup funding programme | UK Space Agency programme supporting satellite and space-tech founders; its Accelerator has backed 289 founders and helped raise £102.2 million in investment since 2021. |
Timeline
- 2023 SaxaVord Spaceport becomes the first fully licensed vertical-launch spaceport in Western Europe on 17 December. [source]
- 2025 The UK Civil Aviation Authority grants Rocket Factory Augsburg the UK's first orbital launch licence, for RFA One from SaxaVord, on 16 January. [source]
- 2026 Rocket company Orbex ceases operations on 18 February after failing to win UK government funding for its rocket-engine programme, collapsing planned acquisition talks. [source]
- 2026 Rebecca Evernden becomes Director of the UK Space Agency in April, succeeding Paul Bate. [source]
- 2026 UKSA announces a £62 million package on 20 July, including £42 million for Connectivity in LEO satellite-communications technology and £20 million through the National Space Innovation Programme. [source]
- 2026 UKSA and ESA's ARTES programme award £13 million to 16 satellite-communications projects on 18 August, including rural train Wi-Fi and farm sensors. [source]
- 2026 The UK publishes a new Space Strategy on 8 September, committing £7.8 billion through 2030, including £30 million for SaxaVord and £148 million for European rocket programmes. [source]
Rebecca Evernden (Director)
Team
- Rebecca EverndenDirector (since April 2026) · source
Signals
- Verification
- Verified 2026-09-09
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Frequently asked about UKSA
Quick answers to the questions readers most often search for.
- When was UKSA founded?
- UKSA was founded in 2010 in United Kingdom.
- Where is UKSA headquartered?
- UKSA is headquartered in Swindon, United Kingdom.
- What does UKSA do?
- The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is the UK government body responsible for the civil space program, established in 2010 and headquartered in Swindon. UKSA manages approximately £600 million in annual space investment, coordinates UK contributions to ESA programs (the UK is ESA's third-largest contributor), and regulates comm…
- What sector does UKSA operate in?
- UKSA works in space agency.
Sources
The structured fields on this page (founding year, location, sector, status, listing) and the profile text are drawn from the sources below. How profiles are drafted and checked is described in our methodology.
- Official website (ukspaceagency.gov.uk)
- Company LinkedIn page
- Wikidata / Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-09-04
- gov.uk: New space strategy will bolster UK defences against threats from space (8 Sep 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-09
- gov.uk: Better WiFi on remote trains... £13 million boost (18 Aug 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-09
- gov.uk: UK invests in homegrown space tech to boost national resilience (20 Jul 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-09
- gov.uk: Rebecca Evernden (people profile) · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Wikipedia: SaxaVord Spaceport · retrieved 2026-09-09
- Wikipedia: Orbex · retrieved 2026-09-09
- European Spaceflight: UK to Leave Launch to 'Germany and Other Allies' (8-9 Sep 2026) · retrieved 2026-09-09
Data Accuracy Notice: Information about UKSA is compiled from publicly available sources including company websites, press releases, regulatory filings, and industry reports. Data is reviewed periodically but may not reflect the most recent developments.