Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support the implementation of the active debris removal mission.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is actively supporting the UK’s first Active Debris Removal (ADR) mission, recognising its importance for space sustainability and economic growth.
The UK Space Agency has launched a £75.6m procurement to deliver this mission, which will remove two defunct UK-licensed satellites from low Earth orbit using advanced robotic and autonomous navigation technologies.
The ADR procurement process is currently live.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help support UK-based businesses that work on orbit (a) servicing and (b) assembly.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) has been identified as one of five National Space Capabilities, reflecting its strategic importance for economic growth, national security, and space sustainability.
To date, the Government has supported the ISAM sector through national and European Space Agency programmes, such as the National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP), where £5.5m in funding is developing new technologies including capture mechanisms for unprepared satellites, long-range RADAR, and in-orbit refuelling interfaces.
Work is underway to develop a cross-government delivery plan that will support UK-based businesses and provide longer term certainty. Further details will be published in 2026.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his planned timetable is for publishing the Active Debris Removal Programme.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Active Debris Removal (ADR) is a core part of in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing capabilities to support safe, secure and sustainable access to space. The Government recently awarded £4.7 million to Astroscale and ClearSpace to understand the risks and costs of an ADR mission to rendezvous with and deorbit two UK-licenced satellites. The UK Space Agency is developing the business case for Phase 3 of the ADR programme which, if successful, will be published for tender in mid-2025 to prepare for mission launch in 2028. Any future phase will be subject to funding decisions which will be taken through the Spending Review.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to limit the liability of licenced commercial spaceflight operators.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Guidance already specifies that all spaceflight operator licences issued under the Space Industry Act 2018 limit an operator’s liability. This Government will look at opportunities to amend Section 12(2) of the Act to make this clear in legislation under Section 36 of the Act.