Seeing the first British built and launched satellite heading into space will be on the wish list for the coming year for Ian Annett, Deputy CEO of the UK Space Agency.

Speaking at Space-Comm Expo, Annett said growing the UK’s voice – both domestically and internationally – was a priority. He said this was important not only for the economy and security of the UK, but also to provide inspiration.

Space economy worth at least £16.5 million

“What we’re about is building resilient National Space capabilities for best security, and also for our own critical national infrastructure, but also by growing the sector. There’s a massive economy out there in space which was worth £16.5 billion pounds just a year or so ago, and that’s continuing to grow. And it reflects what’s happening on the global stage as well – we want a bit of that.”

Annett added: “We want a strong international voice. Space is becoming really important for everybody, not only from a security perspective, but as I say, from the economic perspective. The UK has got a lot to say about that and we want to make sure we can grow that international voice by sharing ideas, drawing off some of the strategic suppliers that we’ve got, and then being able to have that voice into the United Nations, whereby we can say the good things that we’re doing, promoting good behaviours and space and also call out bad behaviour as well.”

Annett said at the next year’s Space-Comm, he would like to be reflecting on a recent satellite launch within the UK “and the first time that we’ve done that from within the UK, the first British satellite using British technology for 50 years.”

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