ESA's impact featured in key UK space policy report

by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Nov 14, 2025
Evidence provided by the European Space Agency was featured in a House of Lords report on space policy, highlighting the benefits and opportunities of ESA-UK cooperation.

On 4 November, the House of Lords' UK Engagement with Space Committee published a report entitled "The Space Economy: Act Now or Lose Out". It explores the challenges and opportunities facing the British space sector - and offers recommendations to bolster the UK's position in the evolving global space economy.

The report includes evidence from across the global space industry.

As part of its preparations, the UK Engagement with Space Committee went on a fact-finding mission to ESA's European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) earlier this year.

Located on the Harwell campus in Oxfordshire, ECSAT is the focal point for the UK's ESA activities. It is the headquarters of ESA's Directorate of Connectivity and Secure Communications, and hosts several world-leading facilities, including the 5G/6G Hub, ESA's Actionable Climate Information Section, the Vulcan sample analogue curation facility, and the Business Incubation Centre UK.

The committee received a briefing on ESA's role in the UK from ECSAT's Head of Establishment Laurent Jaffart and members of the 5G/6G and climate action teams.

Drawing on these inputs, the report emphasises the UK's strong collaboration with ESA, referencing the PLATO and ARIEL science missions; the European human spaceflight programme, which currently features three British astronauts; and the upcoming Vigil space weather forecasting mission.

It also details the UK's strong heritage in the development of Earth observation satellites and the analysis of Earth observation datasets - activities that are key to addressing climate change.

In addition, the report cites evidence from renowned space industry figures Professor Brian Cox and former British ESA astronaut Tim Peake, underscoring the potential of space to tackle key societal issues, the importance of educational outreach, and the value of ECSAT's activities.

Based on the evidence collected, the reports recommends that the UK should seek to maintain its levels of funding in ESA, while increasing its support for national programmes.

It went on to highlight the forthcoming ESA Ministerial Council as an opportunity to for the UK to both participate in ESA programmes that will deliver long-term economic benefits and reassess its relationship with the European space programme.