Washington — The United Kingdom has released a new national space strategy spanning 2027 to 2035, emphasizing defense, national security, and economic expansion. This initiative is backed by an interagency funding commitment exceeding £7.8 billion ($10.6 billion) through 2030.
The strategy prioritizes rapid advancement across four crucial space subsectors: satellite communications, space domain awareness, in-orbit servicing assembly and manufacturing (ISAM), and access to space—specifically referring to domestic space launch capabilities.
According to the strategy, these areas were selected due to their significant growth potential, contributions to the broader economy, alignment with national security and defense priorities, and their importance in fostering a more competitive and strategically focused sector.
While the plan does not outline a total or comprehensive breakdown of Ministry of Defence (MoD) investments, the strategy and its accompanying technical annex highlight several major developmental initiatives:
- Space domain awareness capabilities that are “nationally separable” from ongoing allied joint programs;
- Independent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities;
- A “sovereign, resilient” positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) infrastructure; and
- “Novel space technologies.”
Notably, the strategy solidifies the UK government’s commitment to enabling the MoD to achieve “space control,” aligning with US space policies and strategies.
The document states, “The UK must possess the capability to gain and maintain freedom of action and manoeuvre in, from, and through space; to protect and defend UK and allied space interests; and to deny adversaries the same freedoms—collectively described as the UK’s Control of Space Requirement.”
It further adds, “The UK will urgently develop an integrated, whole-of-government approach to delivering our Control of Space Requirement, utilizing all orbital domains and military, diplomatic, regulatory, and legal levers to deter threats and protect UK and allied interests.”
To fulfill this requirement, the MoD and the Department for Business, Innovation, and Science will establish an integrated roadmap connecting civil and defense technology development in ISAM, space domain awareness, and space control. This roadmap is expected in forthcoming updates to defense space policy.
The most substantial MoD investment detailed in the strategy is a planned £880 million between 2026/2027 and 2029/2030 for ISR and space control operations. The technical annex specifies these funds will support the development of “sovereign” space-based ISR systems and the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) space monitoring project alongside the US and Australia. DARC construction in the UK is scheduled to commence next year, though the annex does not detail the allocation between new ISR projects and DARC.
The strategy pledges that by 2035, the UK will possess a “secure, assured, UK-owned and operated, nationally separable ISR capability.” This will prioritize technology, missions, and infrastructure, supported by strong international relationships that bolster national security and economic growth by enhancing the UK’s capacity to monitor security risks.
Although the strategy outlines various civil agency investments in remote sensing to support ISR—including contributions to European Space Agency programs—it provides no specific MoD budgetary details beyond continued investment in the £968 million ISTARI program. ISTARI aims to deliver a multi-satellite ISR constellation and future ground systems by 2031.
Beyond DARC, the MoD is tasked with collaborating with various civil agencies on space domain awareness, including ongoing support for the National Space Operations Centre jointly managed with the US Space Agency. The MoD is also assigned to solely enhance the Borealis command, control, and data processing system for this joint center, including improvements for sensor tasking. (Borealis was initiated in May with a £65 million contract awarded to CGI UK.)
While the MoD participates in developing ISAM capabilities, the non-defense UK Space Agency will serve as the primary investor in commercial firms. Per the technical annex, the government intends to publish guidance in 2026 to support ISAM and lunar missions, incorporating remote proximity operations (RPO) sandbox findings to foster UK innovation in Active Debris Removal and ISAM.
Similarly, regarding PNT, the technical annex indicates that civilian agencies will undertake most development activities. However, the MoD will lead concept studies for the technology necessary to achieve global timing independent of, and immune to the vulnerabilities of, GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems.
Finally, the strategy notes that the MoD plans to allocate “at least” 10 percent of its annual Equipment Programme budget to novel technologies. This includes £420 million designated to accelerate the delivery of innovative space capabilities.
