Dear all, you may have seen today’s announcement regarding significant changes to the UK space sector’s administrative structure. The functions of the UK Space Agency will be transferred into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), with its work continuing within the department.
At this stage, there are no immediate implications for the clusters or our ongoing activities. We remain committed to our mission: supporting and promoting space innovation, economic growth, and collaboration across academia, industry, and government within our regions and across the UK as a collective. Our relationships with former UKSA teams, now transitioning to DSIT, will continue unchanged in the short term.
We will maintain close engagement with key stakeholders in DSIT, as well as our partner organisations, to ensure that the priorities of the Space East space community are recognised and supported throughout this period of change.
UK Space Agency CEO Paul Bate has expressed optimism about the transition, viewing it as an opportunity to strengthen the UK’s strategic focus in space policy and delivery. He said:
“I strongly welcome this improved approach to achieving the government’s space ambitions. Having a single unit with a golden thread through strategy, policy and delivery will make it faster and easier to translate the nation’s space goals into reality.
“In coming together, the UK Space Agency and space policy colleagues are building on the firm foundations of economic growth and capability development laid in recent years, including cutting-edge missions, major national programmes, and the regulations that enable UK launch and leadership in space sustainability.
“We will continue to deliver, while reducing duplication and ensuring we work even more closely with Ministers to support the UK space sector, and the country.”
The UK Space Clusters stand ready to represent and champion our communities as further details of the restructuring emerge.
We will keep you updated as developments unfold. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local cluster lead if you have any questions or concerns.
You can see the announcement here: UK space sector bolstered with government reforms to boost growth and cut red tape – GOV.UK
A Response from UKspace:
The Government has announced that it will merge the UK Space Agency and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology’ Space Directorate into one combined unit within the Department. The merger will be completed by April 2026.
UK space sector bolstered with government reforms to boost growth and cut red tape – GOV.UK
Commenting on the news of the merger, UKspace President Alice Bunn said that bringing policy, strategy and delivery back together into a single unit – this time at the heart of government – should consolidate and strengthen the Government’s space interests.
UKspace has highlighted for some years that space is too fragmented across departments – and has been actively championing a more coordinated approach. The government has responded, outlining a “One Government” approach aimed at bringing closer alignment across its core space activities. This ”One Government” approach is a positive development; bringing the two largest elements of the civil space landscape back together, under the UK Space Agency banner, is an important first step, providing a more straightforward set of interfaces for the sector and our international partners to engage with. To derive maximum benefits, the joint unit must also be tasked and empowered to drive closer alignment of space interests across the whole of DSIT and its other delivery agencies such as UK Research & Innovation.
Notwithstanding this merger, space interests remain split across multiple Government Departments, and UKspace believes that this still requires more powerful coordination. Success will result in coordinated and scaled activities with a clear focus on delivering national capabilities. UKspace will actively engage with Government through the merger process, championing our members’ and the wider sector’s interests, with a clear focus on ensuring that we maximise the contribution space makes to our nation’s prosperity, safety and security.
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