Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to support the manufacture of low earth orbit satellite manufacturing in the UK.

The UK has helped pioneer the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite sector through support to highly innovative companies such as SSTL, Clyde Space and Open Cosmos, all of which have been supported by different Government mechanisms.

Government continues to support this fast-moving sector, including through the UK Space Agency’s Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit (C-LEO) scheme, which supports high volume satellite production.

The UK Space Agency also contributes funding to the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme. ARTES contributes to UK LEO satellite manufacturing by supporting technology and business development in the ground, space, and network segments.