UK Space activity
The UK is exploring our Solar System through numerous space science missions - past, present and future. It is also at the forefront of Earth observation, satellite communications, satellite navigation and scientific instrumentation.
In 1959, for instance, there were six UK science instruments on board the first international satellite, Ariel-1. Almost fifty years later, the first part of the Huygens probe to land on Titan, Saturn's largest moon, was built in Britain.
Space science involves UK industry, academia and has a renowned reputation for building scientific instruments and robotics. UK space science is funded through BNSC partner, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), and is carried out in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) as well as international partners such as NASA.
British scientists, astronomers and engineers are involved in missions to Saturn, the Moon, Mars, Venus and the future ESA BepiColombo mission to Mercury. They are also participating in Rosetta, the European mission to land on a comet, and India's first mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-1.
The UK is also one of the world leaders in small satellite technology and is at the forefront of satellite navigation.
For more details on UK space activities visit the following webpages:
Missions
Earth observation
Satellite technology
