The UK Space Agency has signed an agreement with US space tech startup Axiom that could see British astronauts participate in commercially sponsored missions.
The UK Space Agency, sponsored by the Department for Science Innovation and Technology(DSIT), said that in a proposed mission with the Texan space company, British astronauts would launch into space for up to two weeks to carry out research and test new technologies.
The government has outlined its ambition to accelerate the UK space tech sector in its National Space Strategy and the UK Science and Technology Framework. The sector was said by the strategy to already be valued at £16.4bn.
“The prospect of a historic UK mission with Axiom Space has the potential to inspire a whole new generation to reach for the stars, while supporting our efforts to build one of the most innovative and attractive space economies in the world, said George Freeman, minister of state for DSIT.
“We want to put the UK at the forefront of the global race for commercial space investment, continue to support scientists and engineers to test new technologies and carry out important research and, ultimately, bring the benefits back to people and businesses across the country.”
UK Space Agency chief executive, Dr Paul Bate, said the agreement “is the springboard” to “assess how we best push forward the frontiers of knowledge and innovation and showcase the power of space to improve lives on Earth”.
The UK Space Agency last month unveiled a £65m funding package for “high-risk, high-reward” technologies within the sector.
UK space startups have been picking up steam with major funding rounds for companies like Open Cosmos, which raised £40m in September.
Scotland’s Skyrora, one of the UK’s most prominent space tech startups, this month secured a £259,000 contract with the European Space Agency.
Despite promising signs, the UK has yet to successfully operate a space flight since its first and only satellite launch in 1971.
In April, Virgin Orbit, the space tech firm owned by Richard Branson, filed for bankruptcy after its highly anticipated launch resulted in a crash.