LONDON, Nov. 27 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

Agreed during the ESA Council of Ministers(CM25)in Bremen,this new fundingbringssharperfocus todeliver maximumvalue for money,sustainthousands of high-skilled jobs,anddrivescience andinnovation thatdirectly benefitspeople and businesses, fromincreasedconnectivity to more resilientinfrastructure andpublic services.

Building on existing commitments, the new fundingincreasesthe UK'scurrentlevel ofsupportforESAprogrammesto£2.8billionover the next decade(2025/26 to2034/35),with further commitments set to be made in 2028at the next ESA Council of Ministers.

This fundingreturnsto UK industry and universitiesascontracts, supportingthe development ofnew technologies, whileputtingBritish scientists,engineersand entrepreneursat the forefront ofglobalspace programmes.Evaluation showsthat every £1 invested in ESA returns £7.49in direct benefitsto the UK economy.

Space Minister Liz Lloyd CBE said:

Our space sector is a key driver of our economic growth and nationalsecurity, andalso supports our allies in Europe and beyond.

Afterthesenegotiations in Bremen, during what remains a challenging time for economies across Europe, we have secured backing for our priority ESA programmes, which will support thousands of jobs, greater resilience and cutting-edge science and technologyacross the UK.

ESA Ministerial Council 2025. Credit: ESA

The new commitments include a record£162millionforlaunch programmes, including the European Launcher Challenge. This initiative is designed to improve access to space byopening upthe European market to commercial operators, increasingresilienceand driving down the cost of launching the satellites that deliver services like communications,navigationand weather forecasting.

This commitment supportstheaimof securingassured access to space for the UK, enhancingour national security in an uncertain world,and ensuring the UK benefits from the fast-growing global space market, which makes an outsized contribution to our economy.Through these initiatives,the governmentwill continue to work with launch companies that can deliver our assured accessobjectives,anddevelop and strengthen existing partnerships with NATO and European allies.

TheUK-led Vigil missiontomonitorand forecast dangerous space weather,in partnership withthe US,willproceed,with a new£131millioncommitmentfrom the UK andsignificantsupportfrom European partners.Spaceweather - whichgenerateddisplays of the Northern Lights over parts of the UKthis month-can disruptvitaltechnology on Earth and in space.

These rare but extreme eventsriskimpactingour dailylives,damagingpower grids,satellites,andsatellite navigation and timingsignalsused by emergency services.Vigil will improve forecasting of solar stormstohelp managetheserisksand protect national security.

Europe's first Mars rover, built in the UK by Airbus and named after British scientist Rosalind Franklin, secured further backing in Bremen, bringing its launch a step closer in 2028. The mission will drill down into the red planet to hunt for signs of past life, putting the UK at the forefront of the race to answer one ofthelongest standing scientific questions about the potential for life to exist on other planets.

The UK also continues its support for the Argonaut lunar lander, following the award of major UK industrial contracts last week to supply the engine and propulsion sub-systems for the mission.

High-growth programmes,including Commercialisation,theGeneral Support Technology Programme and AdvancedResearch in Telecommunications Systems, share anew£261millioncommitment.This includes support for a new direct-to-device satellite system that can connect directly to mobile phones, boosting connectivityin hard-to-reach areas and during emergencies.

A commitmentof £511million to ESA'score budgetbacks the UK's role at thecutting-edgeof space science. Acommitmentof £120millionat this MinisterialforEarthobservationprogrammeswill support mission studies and harness data from climate and environment monitoring satellitesto boost security and growth. This is in addition tothe UK'sexistingESA commitments, meaning a total of approximately £471 millionallocatedtoESAEarth observation projects over the next four years. Additionally, anew £57million investment in advanced Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) technologies will support UK strengths in thisimportant area.

Global demand for space capabilities is growing fast.The UKspace sector employs 55,000 people, with a further 81,000 jobs in the supply chain,and generates an annual income of £18.9 billion.More broadly, satellite services support wider industrial activities worth £454 billion to theUKeconomy, or 18% of GDP.

UK Space Agency CEO Dr Paul Bate, and Space Minister Liz Lloyd CBE.

Thegovernment is putting greater focus on developing keyspace capabilities,and increasing access to more capital and financing options,whilemakingstrategic investments in important missions through ESA, as well asbilaterally withwiderinternational partners.

Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency,said:

Withasharperfocusandmorecoordinatedapproach to spaceacrossgovernment, weenteredtheseimportantnegotiations withclearpriorities,anddeliveredagainst them.Butwhat'seven more importantis how we workedas a team - government, industry, academia- to deliverthe capabilities in space that our country needs.

I'dlike to put on record my thanks to everyone in the UK space sector for all the work they do, day-in day-out, and to all those who supported these important negotiations.Now the real work begins to translate these commitments intovaluablecontract wins forthe sector.

As well as ESA programmes, the UKspace sectorhas access to a wider range of national space funding than ever before.This yearthe government increasedthecore civil space budget through the UK Space Agency by 8%and announced a further £2.8 billionover the coming four years (2026/27 to 2029/30). Today's commitments to the European Space Agency formoneintegral part ofthis larger effort,deliveringgrowth for the UK economy throughspace,as part of the Government's Plan for Change.

Summarytableof funding commitments(£m, nominal terms)

Programme NewUKcommitments at CM25 Totaloutstanding UKcommitments,includingpreviousCMsand CM25

Core ESA budget, including Science 784 784

Space Safety 149 243

Telecoms 191 525

Launch 162 173

Earth Observation* 120 471

Position, Navigation and Timing 57 87

Commercialisation 31 34

Technology 39 124

Exploration 152 340

*Earth Observation totals includepreviouscommitments to the TRUTHS mission which have now been reallocated to otherelements.

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.