UK Space Agency to open headquarters at Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire

The UK from space. Credit: PA / ITV Meridian

The UK Space Agency is to open a new headquarters in Oxfordshire as it works to support the space sector across the country.

The new premises at the Space Cluster at the Harwell Science Campus is due to open in June and is designed to allow the agency to work closely with the space sector as a whole.

William Morgan House in Cardiff and Space Park, Leicester will open in April, whilst a third office at Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh will open later in the summer.

Andrew Griffith, minister for space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “Harwell’s Space Cluster is already a hub of collaboration, with more than 100 thriving research organisations and 1,400 jobs, making it the ideal location for the UK Space Agency’s new headquarters.

“At the same time, our space sector has grown considerably across all parts of the UK and new offices in Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Leicester will serve the talented space researchers and innovators around the country while creating more jobs, growing our local economies and strengthening the UK’s science superpower ambitions.”

Pictured in 2010, Tim Peake helped open the UK Space Agency, which took over from the British National Space Centre Credit: PA

Dr Paul Bate, UKSA chief executive, 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, 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 UK space sector is worth more than £17.5 billion per year and employs over 45,000 people, while satellites underpin £360 billion per year of wider economic activity.

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