The UK government has published a national space strategy for 2027–2035 and an interdepartmental spending plan of more than £7.8 billion through 2030. The document focuses on defence, national security and economic growth.
The strategy, released on 8 September, replaces the 2021 National Space Strategy and for the first time brings civil and defence space programmes under a single plan. Four sectors are named as priorities: satellite communications, space domain awareness, in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM), and access to space, including launches from UK territory.
£2.8 billion is allocated to strengthening connectivity, including the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit programme and the military SKYNET communications system. The funding is intended to provide resilient communications for the armed forces, improve coverage in rural areas and reduce mobile signal dropouts on trains.
£880 million is earmarked for space control and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. The money will go toward sovereign space-based ISR capabilities and the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) project with the United States and Australia. Construction of the DARC facility in the UK is due to begin in 2027. By 2035, London aims to have a secure ISR system owned and operated by the United Kingdom.
£149 million is allocated to ESA’s Vigil mission and £85 million to the National Space Operations Centre for orbital monitoring. These projects are meant to provide earlier warnings of satellite collisions, hostile activity and solar storms. A further £148 million will go to European rocket programmes, £30 million to SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, and £163 million to science and exploration, including the UK-built Rosalind Franklin Mars rover.
The government values the British space sector at £18.6 billion and more than 55,000 skilled jobs. The strategy is intended to strengthen the country’s sovereign space capabilities and support reindustrialisation.
