What we do
To meet national needs, the UK Space Agency is responsible for ensuring that the UK retains and grows a strategic capability in the space-based systems, technologies, science and applications. The UK Space Agency therefore leads the UK's civil space programme in order to win sustainable economic growth, secure new scientific knowledge and provide benefits to all citizens.
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Artist’s impression of the star about to be ripped apart. (Space science)
Credit: University of Warwick / Mark A Garlick
To support these goals, the organisation:
- Oversees the preparation of an Agency corporate strategy and its effective delivery, monitoring and evaluation;
- Provides the central focus for civil space policy and programmes across HM Government;
- Manages the space projects and programmes under the Agency's responsibility against schedule and budget;
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MIRI undergoing alignment testing. (Industry)
Credit: STFC
- Works with departments, agencies and research councils; and with industry and academia to ensure effective and growing exploitation of space across government, business and civil society;
- Negotiates on behalf of the UK and manages the UK's relationship with other space agencies and trans-national organisations such as ESA (European Space Agency), the European Commission and international groups such as CEOS (Committee on Earth Observation Satellites) and ISECG (International Space Exploration Coordination Group);
- Manages the statutory duties of HM Government under the Outer Space Act and develops space regulation policy that supports economic growth;
- Provides the face of the UK civil space programme to the UK general public through its communications activities and leads the delivery of the UK's space-related education, skills and outreach programme (PDF, 48 Kb) ;
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Ash plume from the Grímsvötn volcano as seen on 23 May at 12.00 GMT by the MERIS instrument on board ESA's Envisat satellite.
Credit: ESA.
- Delivers efficient support services to support central Government's needs including briefings and correspondence handling concerning the UK's civil space programme;
- Provides the financial management, procurement and operational tools needed to deliver the Agency's work;
- Meets the statutory financial and audit requirements of an Executive Agency of Government.
