UK Space Agency announces new headquarters and regional offices

The UK Space Agency is opening new headquarters in Harwell, Oxfordshire and regional offices in Scotland, Wales and the Midlands as it works to support the space sector across the UK.  According to the government, the expansion will enable the Agency to collaborate more closely with the UK’s space sector, while promoting regional skills and job opportunities to deliver ‘increasingly ambitious missions and capabilities’. As set out in the Space Industrial Plan, the government says it is committed to continuing its support for space clusters across the UK and ‘providing the tools needed to drive collaboration between them and catalyse further investment’.

The UK space sector is growing faster than the rest of the UK economy. It’s worth over £17.5 billion per year and employs over 45,000 people, while satellites underpin £360 billion per year of wider economic activity. The new HQ at Harwell (main image) is due to open in June, while offices at William Morgan House in Cardiff and Space Park Leicester will open in April, with the office at Queen Elizabeth House, in Edinburgh, opening later in the summer.

Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said: “This is a transformational moment for the UK Space Agency, responding directly to the feedback that the Agency should be embedded in the sector. Our new headquarters, located at the UK’s biggest space cluster in Harwell, will connect to regional offices in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Leicester, and our existing London and Swindon teams, helping us recruit space talent from across the nation and deliver the National Space Strategy.

“This will place the UK Space Agency at the heart of the space sector we serve, boosting growth, improving relationships with regional organisations and supporting a strong, diverse and connected sector. We have seen a significant rise in space organisations across the UK and it’s crucial we nurture their skills and expertise, to ensure we continue this journey.”

The new structure intends to create ‘significant opportunities’ to build on high-growth areas, such as Earth observation and satellite broadband. The government claims it will also help the UK establish early leadership in emerging markets such as in?orbit spacecraft servicing, active space debris removal, and the new lunar economy.

UKspace Chair, John Hanley, said:   “The Agency’s decision to relocate its HQ will strengthen Harwell’s reputation as a major international space hub. It will also enable many UKspace members based at the Space Cluster to enjoy closer collaboration and support from the Agency. Furthermore, the opening of three regional offices in key locations will inevitably help the UK space sector ecosystem expand, as space-based businesses in those regions benefit from opportunities to interact more frequently with Agency staff.”