LONDON, Aug. 18 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* Reliable broadband on remote Scottish railways and access tocutting-edgetechforBritish farmers among 16 newprojects backed by £13 million. * Fundingto help transformaccess and availability of5Gand 6G networks- boosting connectivity and driving growth. * Projects will create high-value jobs across the UK, strengthen national security, and help cement Britain's position as a global force insatellitecommunicationtechnology.

More reliablebroadband on remote Scottish railwaysandaffordable sensorswhichhelp farmers grow more foodare amonga raft ofnew projects which will bring the benefits of space technology into everyday life.

The UK Space Agency is funding 16 projects through a£13million governmentinvestment,supporting the companies and workersdeveloping thesatellitecommunications systems theUKwill depend on for decades to come.

Satellites are the backbone of modern life, powering the navigation apps we rely on, the weather forecasts that keep us safefrom storms and extreme heat, and the broadband connectionsthat keep friends and family in touch.

Among the projects receiving support, CGI's SODOR will trialsatellitebroadband on ScotRail's West Highland Line, one of Scotland's most scenic but remote routes. This will bring reliable connectivity to passengers and commuters in areas where traditional mobile networks struggle to reach.This trial will support the government's wider work to introduce satellite connectivity on all mainland trains - improving availability and connection speeds for passengers across the country.

In agriculture, Farmer Charlie's GAUFF project isdeveloping affordablesatellite-enabled sensors that will give farmers real-time data on their land and crops.That will help deliver better harvests and reducewaste through smarter, more targeted farming, with the technology expected to be available by the end of next summer.

Space Minister Liz Lloyd said:

This investment showsthe true breadth of UK space innovation andhow innovations in the UK's satellite sectorcan improve lives,with better connectivity delivering internet access for more train journeys, and smarter farming.through more reliable connections through to support for our farming communities.

By backing brilliantBritishcompanies, we arenot only furthering our status as one of the world's leadingspacepowers, butcreating high-quality jobsand new opportunitiesacross the UK.

Betty Bonnardel MBE, CEO of Farmer Charlie said:

We are delighted to receive the support of the UK Space Agency, through the European Agency, as it helps Farmer Charlie bring the benefits of precision agriculture to farmers across the UK.

By combining affordable sensors withsatelliteconnectivity, we are making it easier for growers to make informed decisions, improve productivity and farm more sustainably anywhere in the UK.

The 16 projects will bedelivered as part of the European Space Agency's Advanced Research in Telecommunication Systems (ARTES) programme,backed by £13 million in UK Government funding.

The space sector isone of our strongest drivers of growth and opportunity - employing morethan 55,000people andbringing£18.6 billionintothe economyeveryyear(1.)This investmentwill take UK space to the next frontier - backingthe innovators developing the faster,smarterand more securesatellitesystemswhich will keep us safe and our economy moving.

Other projects winning backing today includeExoboticsLtd'sSTARSproject, whichwill develop ultra-fastsatellitecommunications technology. This will deliver the firstsatellites in a planned network designed to relay data betweensatellites and the ground much more quickly.

Further projectswill alsoimprovethe UK's capabilities in deep space and lunar communications,supporting future missions which explore our universe.

Theseinvestmentswill boost the UK's ability to shape the curve of progress in space technology - backing the companies who will deliver jobs, investment, and opportunities that will support communities across the country for decades to come.

Notes to Editors

List of Projects

STARS,ExoboticsLtd, London- £2,100,000

Working withArchangel Lightworks and University of Nottingham,this projectselected under the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit Programme2will develop anddemonstratea next-generation optical communications capability designed to provide ultra-fast, resilient and near real-time connectivity forsatelliteoperators. The project will deliver the firstsatellites in a planned futuredatarelay network, helping address growing demand for rapid transfer ofmission-critical data.

Theia - Software Defined Radio Generic Payload Processor, Airbus Defence and Space UK Ltd, Portsmouth - £1,500,000

This project is developing technology that allows to expand Airbus existing Hyperion Processor (Hyperion Evo) by offering the capability to tailor specific Processor functions to the mission needs as well as reprogramming and updating those functions while in orbit, rather than being locked into a fixed set of functions before and after launch. This makes Airbus On-board Processors andsatellites more adaptable, helps operators get more out of them over time, and reduces costs.

QUAKES: Quick Universal Array for Ka-band, E-band, and S-band Earth Stations, Orbital Astronautics Ltd, Goring-On-Thames- £1,710,000

QUAKES is building a compact, portable ground station that can connect to multiplesatellites at once and handle everything from low-bandwidth sensor data to high-speed broadband. Because it can be quickly deployed with minimal infrastructure, it is well suited to both civilian and defenceusesin challenging or remote environments.

Hybrid Generative Broadcasting & Semantic SATCOM forSatelliteContent Delivery in Space-Air-Ground Integrated Networks, AWTG Ltd, London- £684,000

This project is using artificial intelligence to makesatellitebroadcasting more efficient, reducing the amount of data and power needed to deliver high-quality video and media content. Rather than transmitting a full picture every time, the system intelligently reconstructs content at the receiving end, saving bandwidth acrosssatellite, airborne and ground-based networks.

Optimus, Archangel Lightworks Ltd, Oxford- £1,845,000

Project Optimus is building a high-speed laser communications system that cantransmitdata betweensatellites and the ground at speeds of over 100 gigabits per second -roughly tentimes faster than its predecessor. Compact and quick to deploy, it could support everything from broadband internet andEarth observation tospace-baseddata centres.

NextGen Deep Space & Lunar Ground TT&C Processor (TTCP Lite), BAE Systems Applied Intelligence Limited, Chelmsford- £123,000

This project is exploring how ground station systems that are used to track and communicate with deep-space missions billions of km away can be modernised. It isan important steptowards building afully-digitalground infrastructure to support future space exploration.

DTN Network Operations Centre,AalyriaTechnologies (UK) Ltd, London-£750,000

Working withGoonhillyEarth Station in Cornwall, this project is developing networking technology that canmaintainreliable communications even across the vast distances of deep space, where signals can take minutes or hours to travel. It will help lay the groundwork for future lunar missions and programmes such as ESA's Moonlight initiative.

NG-OGS Accelerator: Accelerating Next-Gen Optical and Quantum Ground Station Networks, Lumino Technologies Ltd, London- £1,140,000

This project is developing next generation optical ground stations - the facilities on the ground that use lasers to communicate withsatellites - making these cheaper and easier to build and deploy at scale. NG-OGS Accelerator will help the UK keep pace with growing demand for high-speed, securesatellitecommunications as well as enable long-range quantum communications.

Digital BUC / HPA, ETL Systems Limited, Hereford- £895,000

This project will modernisesatelliteground infrastructure by replacing complex analogue uplink equipment with digital technology. This will enable more flexible, cloud-basedsatelliteservices and create infrastructure that is easier to upgrade, more adaptable and better suited to futuresatellitecommunications networks.

"UPLINK-GEO" - Power Scaled Erbium-Doped Fibre Laser and Hollow-Core Fibre Beam Delivery to Enable Optical Ground Stations with Extended Range to GEO and Beyond, Woodrow Scientific Ltd, Southampton- £376,000

This project is developing more powerful laser technology to extend the range of optical ground stations, allowing them to communicate withsatellites in higher orbits further from Earth. This is essential infrastructure for future high-capacitysatellitenetworks that use light rather than radio waves totransmitdata.

Satellites for Digitalisation of Railways (SODOR) CCN 4 - West Highland Line Pilot, CGI IT UK Ltd, Leatherhead- £428,000

This project will fit a ScotRail train on the West Highland Line withsatellitecommunications equipment to provide reliable broadband in one of the UK's most remote rail corridors. It willdemonstratehowsatellitetechnology can fill connectivity gaps where mobile and broadband networks simplydon'treach.

NOVACOM2: Propulsion Pressure Regulation Equipment for HET,NammoUK, Aylesbury- £860,000

This project is developing and testing advanced components that control the propulsion systems used to manoeuvre electricsatellites in orbit. More precise and reliable propulsion technology helpssatellitesoperatemore efficiently and extends their working lives,benefitingoperators across the global space industry.

Gardens, Allotments and Urban Farming Facilitator (GAUFF) Sensor - TN/NTN Optimisation, Farmer Charlie, London- £199,000

This project is creating low-cost, easy-to-use sensors that help farmers and growersmonitortheir crops, soil and local environment using a combination ofsatelliteand mobile connectivity. The technology is designed to work in rural areas with poor or no internet coverage, helping to bring the benefits of precision agriculture to more people.

"UPLINK-4.0" - UPLINK Amplifier Technology to Meet the Challenges of SDA OCT 4.0 Burst-Mode Operation, Woodrow Scientific Ltd, Southampton- £205,000

This project is developing laser amplifier technology that can deliver much higher bursts of power when needed, allowing ground stations to communicate more reliably withsatellites in different orbits. It will help ensure the UK's optical communications infrastructure is ready for the next generation ofsatelliteconstellations.

Lacuna User Terminal Development, Lacuna Space Ltd, Harwell- £429,000

This project is developing and manufacturing a new generation of small, affordable devices that connect everyday objects and sensors to the internet viasatellite- even in the most remote parts of the world. By building these devices in the UK, the project will also strengthen domestic manufacturing and supply chain capabilities.

TS-SDN based SMO for 5G/6G NTNs, AalyriaTechnologies (UK) Ltd, London,- £472,000

This project is developing the software interface that allows terrestrial networks andsatellitesystems to work together seamlessly, so that users can stay connected as they move between areas with mobile coverage and areas only served bysatellite. It also uses AI to reduce interference betweensatellites, improving overall network performance for future 5G and 6G services.

Statistical References

1.Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2024Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2024 - GOV.UK

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