News The UK will formally launch its new space agency on Tuesday

UKSA: "UK scientists win leading roles in new Climate Change programme".

UK scientists have won the lead in over €5M worth of contracts, in a new initiative to unlock the complexities of climate change. This new programme, the ESA Climate Change Initiative, will use Earth Observation (EO) to help generate Essential Climate Variables (ECV’s) for our planet. The UK Space Agency has contributed £15 million over 6 years to the ECV programme, or approximately 20% of the overall project budget.

Essential Climate Variables (ECV’s) is the term used to describe those key environmental parameters which, taken together, are able to describe our past, present and future climate on Earth. These include atmospheric variables, such as ozone content, as well as snow cover, fire disturbance and ocean salinity. Without a solid description of these key indicators of our environment we will not be able to understand and mitigate against consequences of climate change such as hurricanes, El Niño effects, flooding, and other extreme weather events.

David Williams from the UK Space Agency said, “This outcome reflects the impressive UK record in Earth Observation data handling, data assimilation and climate modelling. Excellent programmes like these mean the UK can help lead European efforts to understand the changing face of our planet.”

Following a competitive bidding process to address 10 ECV’s, UK scientists have won involvement in every successful bid and will lead on 3.

The 3 winning UK-led bids are for:

1. Sea Surface Temperature

This is led by [Dr/Prof] Chris Merchant at the University of Edinburgh. He said: "Over the next three years, the aim of the project is to build a more complete and accurate picture of how the surface temperatures of the world's oceans have evolved over the last two decades. Sea surface temperature is now recognised as a key indicator of the world’s most severe weather events. We will do this by combining observations from several environmental satellites. Central to the whole enterprise is a series of ultra-accurate sensors (the "Along Track Scanning Radiometers") that were largely developed in the UK, and have been flying since 1991. As well as re-evaluating past temperature changes in the ocean, the project looks forward. We are going to design a system for monitoring marine climate change from space for many years to come. It is a big challenge, but I'm glad to say I have a truly excellent team to work with, from five countries round Europe." The project funding is €1.8M, more than half of which will be spent on research in the UK.

2. Ocean colour

This led by Dr Shubha Sathyendranath at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Over the next 3 years the project will use data from ESA and NASA satellites to help build up a long-time series, calibrated and consistent record of ocean colour across the globe. Ocean colour can reveal information about chlorophyll and phytoplankton concentration – both key indicators of the health of our oceans. By unravelling the complex behaviour of our oceans we can contribute to understanding global climate issues. This will be achieved by drawing on interdisciplinary expertise between Earth Observation, climate research and modelling communities. The total project funding is €1.8M.

3. The Climate Modelling User Group (CMUG)

Led by Roger Saunders at the Met Office, is a cross cutting activity looking at the data requirements of the climate modelling and reanalysis communities. CMUG will identify what is required to integrate EO data with climate models. The CMUG will also assess some of the climate data records generated by the CCI projects by comparing them with climate models and reanalyses. The CMUG contract is worth almost 1.5M€ with 0.6M€ going to the Met Office as the co-ordinator and science lead.

Notes for editors
  • These ECV’s were published by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and describe the most important features of our environment which affect climate change. Satellite data play a major part in measuring 21 of these 45 ECV’s required to fully describe the Earth’s climate
  • The SST project has the following partners: Met Office, University of Leicester, Space Connexions, Danish Meteorological Institute, met.no(Norwegian meteorological service), Meteo-France, and Brockmann Consult (Germany). The SST CCI project builds on previous UK-funded research, in which many of the techniques to be used were developed. This enabled Dr Merchant to put forward the successful bid to lead the project at a European level, in response to the call for proposals from the European Space Agency (ESA).
  • ECMWF, Max Planck Institute and MeteoFrance are the other partners of the CMUG. The CMUG started its work in April 2010 and organised a workshop at the EGU meeting in Vienna to gather requirements.
  • Visit the ESA website for the ESA TV CCI film.
 
UKSA: "Space sector continues exceptional economic growth through the recession".

Size and Health of the UK Space Industry report (PDF, 549 kb).

The British space industry has grown by nearly eight per cent through the recession and is now worth over £7.5 billion to the economy, a UK Space Agency report revealed today.

The report, ‘The Size and Health of the UK Space Industry,’ is the latest update of a biennial survey of British companies involved in the sector. It shows the space industry has grown by more than 10 per cent on average over the last two years.

The report, produced for the UK Space Agency by Oxford Economics, surveyed 260 companies across both the upstream (companies which provide space technology) and the downstream (companies that utilise space technologies). The results prove that there are still British success stories to emerge from the last two years.

Against the backdrop of difficult economic conditions, the space industry has maintained its momentum, as it recorded an average growth of more than 11 per cent in downstream companies and three per cent growth in upstream providers, compared to the national GDP growth of 0.3 per cent.

Science Minister David Willetts said:

“The British space industry is worth over £7 billion to the economy. It is a sector that is growing as fast as the Chinese economy and a remarkable success story of high-tech innovation.

“This is an exciting month for the space industry with the first British astronaut due to complete his training at the European Astronaut Centre and the launch of the HYLAS 1 satellite.”

Demonstrating the benefit of strategic investment and strong partnerships between industry, academia and the public sector, industry turnover has doubled in real terms in the period of 1999/2000 to 2009/2010.

Broadcasting continues to be the primary application for space technology, with sales of £5,069 million in 2008/9. The bulk of the remaining revenues are linked to applications for telecommunications, which generated £1,800 million. Together these two applications accounted for over 90 per cent of the total market.

Employment within the space sector has also strengthened by just over nine per cent to reach 24,900 in 2008/2009. Upstream and downstream industries have both grown at a rate of over 12 per cent, doubling the average annual employment growth rate of six per cent since 1999/2000.

The sector’s workforce is highly-skilled, with over 70 per cent of employees holding a first degree, but there are still major challenges for companies operating both upstream and downstream in space applications. The primary challenge is the lack of competent engineers in the market, as nearly 12 per cent of businesses survey reported difficulty in filling their requirements.

Above and beyond the direct benefit to the economy of employment and revenue, the growth of the space sector has knock-on implications for related sectors and businesses across the country and in many other areas of the economy. Factoring in the indirect value of contracts with suppliers and tax revenues for employees and suppliers, the contribution of the UK space sector to GDP in 2008/2009 is estimated to be £6.2 billion.

The UK Space Agency, established on 1 April 2010, is tasked with building on that decade of growth to establish the UK as a world leader in the space sector. To accomplish that goal, the Agency coordinates the Government’s involvement in space, running UK space programmes, managing international collaboration and developing industry partnerships across the sector.

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BBC News: "UK space sector earnings now at £7.5bn".
 
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BBC News'/Jonathan Amos' "Spaceman" Blog: "The UK space sector's size and health".

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UKSA: "UK Space Agency kicks off CubeSat pilot programme".

The UK Space Agency has today (Wednesday 10th November) opened the payload competition for its United Kingdom Universal Bus Experiment (UKube1) - a one year pilot mission in which the UK will launch a miniature satellite that will carry up to 3 different payloads into space, testing new technologies and carrying out new space research quickly and efficiently.

UKube1 is an exciting and novel collaboration between the UK Space Agency, industry and academia, and is envisaged as the pilot for a full national CubeSat programme. The low cost, largely off-the-shelf nature and rapid turnaround of CubeSat missions means that they can be used to drive the development of innovative technologies and to promote economic growth. Only this week, The UK Space Agency announced that the UK space industry has grown by about 10% a year through the recession to reach an annual turnover of £7.5B.

Dr David Williams, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said, “UKube1 will allow us to test the suitability of a CubeSat programme for fast-tracking some of the UK’s new and cutting-edge space technology and performing unique science at a relatively low cost. We’re looking forward to receiving the innovative payload proposals that our skilled UK scientists and engineers will suggest.”

The funding partners for UKube1 are the UK Space Agency, TSB and STFC. The spacecraft is being developed through an existing Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with innovative Scottish space company Clyde Space and the University of Strathclyde. The platform development is supported through internal funding from ClydeSpace and STFC sponsorship of the KTP. The UK’s largest space company, EADS Astrium Ltd, is providing engineering and programme management support to the Agency for the programme.

Craig Clark, CEO of Clyde Space, said, “Clyde Space is delighted to be part of the UKube1 programme. UKube1 is a fantastic opportunity for innovative UK companies to get together with likeminded UK academics and be creative in space. The UK Space industry has recently set out ambitious growth plans and innovation is going to be key to achieving those ambitions. CubeSats provide an ideal platform to prove our new ideas in space, quickly and at a fraction of the cost of typical space missions. I think that UKube1 also demonstrates the willingness of the new UK Space Agency to recognise market trends and act on this knowledge to help UK companies operate at the forefront of these markets.’

Dr Ronan Wall, UKube Programme and Engineering Manager at Astrium added, "Developing new concepts for space can be both a time-consuming and costly process, but cubesats provide the space industry with a platform for rapid innovation in a low risk environment. Astrium is lending its engineering expertise to this project as we recognise the multiple benefits it will bring in terms of technological development, creating new supply chains and hands-on inspiration."

Launch of UKube1 is planned for December 1, 2011. Up to three payloads from UK based providers will be selected for flight, with at least one back up which itself will be flown on a following UKube, on approval of the full national programme.

A number of existing CubeSat missions, operated by other countries, are targeted at science applications and especially at studies that can be carried out at low-Earth orbits such as space weather studies, atmospheric science, energetic particle studies and spacecraft damage studies. Examples include NASA’s GeneSat-1, a 5 kilogram CubeSat which is carrying bacteria inside a miniature laboratory and NASA’s Firefly mission which is studying the relationship between lightning and mysterious bright flashes of gamma radiation in the upper atmosphere of our planet.

The low-Earth orbit of CubeSats is also ideal for disaster monitoring and Earth sciences, as the lower a satellite orbits, the less time it takes to complete a revolution of the Earth. Constellations of Earth-monitoring CubeSats could be set up far more cheaply than regular satellite constellations and could be used for all kinds of applications, including bush-fire early warning, live maps and Tsunami warning. CubeSats also lend themselves well to education and offer great opportunities for hands-on training of the next generation of our space workforce.

Notes for editors

The Announcement of Opportunity is an encouragement for UK entities to get involved in the pilot mission – UKube1.

The Announcement of Opportunity and the full information pack for potential payload providers are available on the UK Space Agency website.

The mission is a fast programme of 12 months duration in total, which will prove the collaborative UKube programme concept by launching a three unit (10cm x 10cm x 34cm) CubeSat.

UK-based entities are invited to submit a proposal for a payload slot on this pilot mission. Initial Expressions of Interest (300 words including brief payload description) are required by Wednesday 24 November with full (10 page) proposals to be submitted by Wednesday 8 December. For further details please see the AO webpage.

The payloads must be ready for flight within six months from payload kick-off. However, only the Flight Model of the payload will be required from each provider.

Payload candidates who wish to develop their payload with support from an HEI and who are eligible can apply for short Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) specifically identified for this programme. Further details will be provided in the Announcement of Opportunity. Payload providers must provide their own funding if KTP is not suitable.

Expressions of Interest for Ground segment / operations support and launch brokerage will be sought in the near future via separate announcements. The opportunity to provide the ground segment and support the programme through operations will be offered to a suitable organisation. The Ground Segment and Operations support entity must provide their own funding. In return, the organisation will secure a unique opportunity to operate the national UK CubeSat and enhance education activity. The Ground Segment must operate in accordance with international amateur radio regulations.

All participants will be selected by an independent UK Space Agency committee, involving the funding partners (UK Space Agency, STFC and TSB). Participants must be UK based.

Request for clarifications on the programme should be directed to Caroline Harper. Request for clarification on the KTP scheme should be directed to Major Chahal. Clarifications may be published on the UK Space Agency website for all potential proposers to see. Please note that clarification requests received after Wednesday December 1, 2010 will not receive a response.
 
BBC News: "'UK spaceman' Piers Sellers honoured".

Piers Sellers received his UK Astronaut Pin in London yesterday. He is the 3rd person to receive such a Pin (the other two being Helen Sharman & Richard Garriott).

Apparently, Michael Foale and Nicholas Patrick will get their Pins next year.

Sellers said that he won't fly in space again, because he wants to give the younger people a chance. He will be returning to his former home, GSFC, early next year to head up its climate programme - thus utilising his PhD in Climate Simulation.
 
UKSA: £2.5 million boost for UK space technology industry

Parabolic Arc: UKSA Awards £2.5 Million for Commercial R&D Projects:
UKSA PR – Twenty-two innovative British companies are to share £2.5 million ($3.97 million) of government support for the design and development cutting-edge space products and technologies.

As part of the UK Space Agency’s National Space Technology Programme (NSTP), twenty-nine projects are receiving grant funding to develop commercial products and services using space technology or space-derived data. These ‘fast-track projects’ applied as part of the ‘Space for Growth’ competition, and each will last between 6 and 9 months. The projects will carry out research and development in: Satellite Telecommunications; Sensing; Position, Navigation & Timing; Robotics & Exploration and Access to Space.

The NSTP was established to help UK industry exploit growth opportunities in the space sector and improve domestic space technology capabilities. In addition to the UK Space Agency’s contribution, funding has been provided by the Technology Strategy Board and the South East England Development Agency. Additional matched funding from the businesses involved brings the total value of research and development to nearly £5 million.

“The UK space industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country, contributing £7.5bn annually to the UK economy. The National Space Technology Programme will help us further this success by providing an opportunity for promising UK space technologies and applications to be developed to meet their full commercial potential and for businesses to explore collaborations with other sectors to establish services in new markets.”

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Parabolic Arc: UK Space Technology Industry Gets £6 Million Boost:
LONDON (UKSA PR) – The Government is to grant nearly £6 million to co-fund major new British research that will develop commercial products and services using space technology and data from space-based systems.

The grant funding, part of the National Space Technology Programme (NSTP) from the UK Space Agency (www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency) and the Technology Strategy Board (www.innovateuk.org), will support four major research and development consortium projects to be led by Astrium Ltd, Avanti Communications Ltd, DMC International Imaging Ltd and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.

The total value of the R&D, including contributions from the participating companies, is over £11.5 million. The portfolio of projects includes participation by 21 partner companies, universities and research organisations, including 7 SMEs.

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said: “The UK space industry supports thousands of high-tech jobs in the UK and is an important driver of economic growth. This £6 million investment will build on that success by helping some of the most innovative British businesses develop highly commercial, cutting-edge space technology that will be in demand in a growing global market.”

Dr David Williams, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said “These initial major projects springing out of the National Space Technology Programme are great examples of innovative and ambitious R&D in the UK space sector. By investing in these projects, we are securing our future national capability across the range of vital applications and services that space technology can provide.”

Iain Gray, Chief Executive of the Technology Strategy Board, said: “We are delighted to support these exciting new projects, which will enable the development, commercialisation and exploitation of space technologies to address challenges and provide growth opportunities across a wide range of emerging markets.”

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Parabolic Arc: UK Space Agency Unveils Four-Year Development Plan:
FARNSBOROUGH, England (UKSA PR) – The ‘Civil Space Strategy’ setting out the direction for the UK space sector over the next four years was published Tuesday 10th July at the Farnborough International Airshow. The Strategy sets out the UK Space Agency’s framework supporting the growth of the sector over the next four years.

The Civil Space Stratey [sic] was formally unveiled to the international space community gathered for Space Day at Farnborough. The Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts discussed the Strategy in his speech to the Space Conference as well as revealing the latest results of the Size and Health of the UK Space Sector.

David Willetts commented:

“The UK space sector has shown remarkable resilience in a difficult time. It is important to renew our intentions to create new opportunities for the industry to sustain this growth in the long term. Central to this is targeting investment in key technologies and innovative ideas to better capture and exploit the opportunities of the expanding space market.”

With growth rates of 7.5% over the 2010/2011 period the Strategy lays out how the UK Space Agency will work with partners both at home and abroad to build capabilities in the years to come. The strategy focuses on driving space to generate economic growth in downstream services derived from space, whilst maintaining excellence in science and the ability to build and operate satellites.

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UKSA: UK Civil Space strategy 2012 – 2016 (PDF, 4.6 Mb)
 
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