£10.9 million boost for Scottish space sector

Five projects funded by the UK Space Agency across Scotland have been announced on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, providing over £10.5 million in Scottish investment.

The projects come from the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) – designed to invest in high-potential technologies and drive innovation and growth in the space sector across the UK. 

Two Scottish projects will receive £8.5 million of the total funding for UK Major Projects. These include funding for a sub-orbital rocket test by HyImpulse (Glasgow) from SaxaVord spaceport in Shetland. 

A project led by Spire Global (Glasgow) will further develop technology to supply unique weather forecasting data to global numerical weather prediction centres.

Not only will the funding support the growth of UK space businesses and create new jobs, but it will enhance Scotland’s offering of space capabilities and services to international investors and major space players. 

An additional three ‘Kick Starter’ projects across Scotland will receive £2.4million between them. These projects are designed to support technologies and applications that are in an earlier stage of development and increase their readiness for use in commercial and scientific endeavours.

These projects include a partnership between University of Strathclyde, UK Atomic Energy Authority and SJE Space, for a feasibility study into whether terrestrial directed energy drilling (plasmas/microwaves) could be adapted for space applications, specifically lunar exploration.

Speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow where he met with a number of Scottish exhibitors, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:

“This is an exciting time for the Scottish space sector as we look forward to the first satellite launch from SaxaVord in Shetland later this year. The burgeoning industry plays a vital role in our economy and employs thousands of people across the country. It was fantastic to meet with some of them here and hear about their pioneering plans which could be a key driver for growth, jobs and investment in Scotland.

“Scotland is a major player in the international space industry and I am delighted the UK Government is continuing to back the sector with £10.9 million in funding for these five Scottish projects.”

Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said: 

“These new projects will help kickstart growth, create more high-quality jobs, protect our planet and preserve the space environment for future generations. They go to the heart of what we want to achieve as a national space agency that supports cutting-edge innovation, spreads opportunity across the UK and delivers the benefits of space back to citizens on Earth.”

Chair of the UKspace trade association, John Hanley, said: 

“This investment into the space industry demonstrates the importance of funding through a national programme to unlock innovative collaborations in all parts of the UK. We hope this will further strengthen the sector and build upon the growth we have seen in recent years.”

Project Summaries:

Major Projects

• SHARP – Sustainable Hybrid: Accelerated Rocket Programme 

Funding: £4,995,000  

This project will set out to conduct a vertical launch of a sounding rocket in the UK with the final goal being the build completion of the second stage of the orbital rocket ready for testing. HyImpulse, in partnership with Cranfield University, Birmingham University and the AVICON Partnership, intends to provide a fully vertically integrated launch service for a low-cost, fast, flexible, and reliable deployment of small satellites to low earth orbits. 

• Operational Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder-Satellite (OHMS-Sat) 

Funding: £3,524,000

Led by Spire Global in partnership with STAR-Dundee Ltd, the Met Office and RAL Space (UKRI STFC), this project will build on the prior developments of the Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder (HYMS) to move it towards an operational mission to supply weather forecasting data to global numerical weather prediction (NWP) centres and create unique weather products. 

Kick Starter Projects

• DIGGER – Drilling and Integrated GigaHertz-Generated Energy Resource for Lunar and Asteroid applications  

Funding: £845,000

In partnership with University of Strathclyde, UK Atomic Energy Authority and SJE Space, DIGGER is a feasibility study into whether terrestrial directed energy drilling (plasmas/microwaves) could be adapted for space applications, specifically lunar exploration.

• Direct Detection Receivers for Millimetre Wave Radiometry  

Funding: £827,000

Led by UKRI / STFC / RAL Space in partnership with University of Glasgow and Spire Glasgow, the project will develop the critical low noise amplifier and detector technology which will be at the core of the next generation of atmospheric remote sensing instrumentation. This technology will go beyond gathering data for weather prediction, with use cases being developed in emerging fields such as security imaging, and theft prevention.      

• TARS-IOD: Flight-ready model for In-Orbit Demonstration of Tomorrow’s Astro-Robotic System

Funding: £804,000

Lodestar Space Ltd. will develop a platform-agnostic modular robotic arm to perform contact dependent dynamic space operations. Intended for flight on Momentus’ Vigoride platform, the partnership also involves Growbotics and the University of Glasgow to equip the UK with sovereign capabilities for inspecting, protecting, and repairing vital assets beyond Earth.