U.K. government preparing to release new space strategy

Rebecca Evernden, director of the U.K. Space Agency, speaks at the Spacetide conference in Tokyo July 6. Credit: SpaceNews/Jeff Foust

WASHINGTON — The British government is preparing to release a new space strategy that will provide a “whole-of-government” approach for space in the country.

Speaking at the Spacetide conference in Tokyo last week, Rebecca Evernden, director of the U.K. Space Agency, said the strategy, set for release “in the coming weeks,” would provide guidance for civil, commercial and national security space activities.

“That strategy will be framed around two outcomes, which are economic growth and national security,” she said. “Everything that we will do will be aligned with those two outcomes.”

The strategy, she said, will focus on four areas: satellite communications, launch, space domain awareness and space sustainability, and in-space servicing and manufacturing. She didn’t elaborate on those plans beyond accelerating development and investment in those areas.