The UK government has published a new UK Space Strategy that brings civil and defence space investment under a single plan, with a stated focus on national security, economic growth and improving connectivity.
The strategy, published on 8 September 2026 by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, the Ministry of Defence and the UK Space Agency, is backed by £7.8 billion in funding to 2030. It formally replaces the National Space Strategy published in 2021.
Security and defence are positioned as central objectives, with the government pointing to space as an increasingly important domain for national protection. The strategy includes funding for Space Domain Awareness, including £149 million for the European Space Agency’s Vigil mission and £85 million for the National Space Operations Centre, aimed at improving monitoring of satellites, rockets and debris and providing earlier warnings of potential collisions, hostile activity and solar storms.
The plan also allocates £880 million for space control and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, to support capabilities that can track military activity and potential attacks on satellites.
A further £2.8 billion is earmarked for connectivity programmes, including Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit and the SKYNET defence communications programme. The government says it expects these investments to support improved connectivity in rural communities and reduce mobile signal dropouts on trains through advanced satellite communications.
Beyond defence and communications, the strategy outlines £40 million to support in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) technologies, intended to help repair and maintain satellites and assist with removing objects from orbit. The government also links ISAM to the development of new products made in space, including semiconductors and pharmaceutical-related tools.
Additional funding commitments cited in the strategy include £148 million for European rocket programmes and £30 million for SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland; £163 million for space science and exploration missions including delivery of the UK-built Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover; £57 million from the Department for Transport to improve rail connectivity; £190 million from UK Research and Innovation for astronomy and space science research; and £9 million from the Met Office to strengthen space weather forecasting.
The strategy also signals changes to procurement and regulation. The government says it will take a single approach to buying and developing space technology, starting with satellite communications, and is reforming space regulations to reduce costs and make it easier for UK firms to invest in missions including satellite servicing and lunar exploration.
In a statement included with the release, Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the plan would help keep the UK secure by strengthening its ability to launch satellites, detect threats and protect services people rely on daily.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the strategy recognises the UK’s dependence on freedom of action in space and, if necessary, the ability to protect UK and allied space assets, adding that the government is investing more than £3 billion under the Defence Investment Plan to support defence space capabilities.
Industry groups and stakeholders welcomed the publication. UKspace chair Doug Liddle said the strategy set out a “constructive path” and called for open, cross-sector dialogue. ADS Group CEO Kevin Craven emphasised the importance of transparency and certainty for long-term industrial commitments. Space Academic Network co-chairs Professors Anna Hogg and Mark Sims said delivery details would be critical for enabling academia and industry to plan and invest.
In notes accompanying the strategy, the government outlined four priority subsectors: Satellite Communications; In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing; Space Domain Awareness; and Assured Access to Space.
The regulatory package referenced alongside the strategy includes proposals such as variable liability limits for orbital operations, waiving operator liability for certain innovative missions launched before the end of 2030, new models for third-party liability insurance, and abolishing decommissioning funds for constellation operators in favour of monitoring operators’ financial health.
