UK space: A new world of opportunity

The UK has more than its fair share of unsung engineering success stories, but there are perhaps few more striking examples of Britain hiding its industrial light under a bushel than its buoyant space sector. Despite a relatively low public profile, UK space is at the forefront of areas including the manufacture of telecoms satellites, the development of small systems that can be launched at a fraction of the cost of traditional technology, and the design of robotic probes and rovers for planetary exploration.

Meanwhile, with several proposed spaceports under consideration, alongside the development of innovative propulsion technologies such as Reaction Engines’ SABRE engine, the UK is even beginning to take significant steps towards the development of its own domestic launch capability.

Now made up of nearly 1,000 separate organisations – with around 30 new companies joining the fold each year – and directly contributing almost £6bn to the economy each year, the sector has tripled in size since 2000, making it one of the UK’s fastest-growing industries.