Following publication of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) last week (2 June 2025), which stated that “Space is a critical national infrastructure sector, a site of growing competition, and a domain that is central to warfighting”, it’s been another busy week in Westminster for the space industry.
On Tuesday 10 June, we attended the Space All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) drop-in session at Portcullis House. Chaired by Mark Garnier MP and supported by UKspace and ADS Group, these events focus on raising awareness of the space industry to parliamentarians across the spectrum. Huge thanks to our members – Magdrive, Astroscale, Airbus, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Babcock, BAE Systems, CGI and Viasat – who attended and spoke to parliamentarians about our sector’s role in supporting our defence and national security.
During the session, UKspace Chair, Doug Liddle, spoke about our approach to the SDR, and how the space sector can support it. He said: “The SDR works best for us if we don’t look at it through a space lens, but rather with our National Space Enterprise goggles on. Instead of asking ‘What does the SDR do for us?’ We should be asking ‘What can we do for the SDR?’.
“Bearing in mind that our stock in trade is data (and imagery) and its ecosystem, let’s take another look at the SDR. The UK is a leading tech-enabled defence power, with an Integrated Force that deters, fights and wins through constant innovation at wartime pace. Effective use of space is critical to the ability of the Integrated Force to understand, communicate, move and fight,” he added.
On Wednesday 11 June, a Westminster Hall debate about the ‘Impact of the space industry on the economy’ was initiated by Mark Garnier who reiterated the role of space assets in battlefield management, saying “defence of the space domain becomes as important a part of the UK Ministry of Defence’s activities as defence of our own territories.” He also stated the critical importance of defending non-military positioning, navigation and timing satellites, saying “Lose navigation satellites and you lose our entire payment system!”
Reflecting on the debate, which featured MPs from several parties, UKspace Executive Director, Colin Baldwin, said: “It was reassuring to hear references to the SDR and UKspace’s “intelligent briefing note on the SDR”, and I was encouraged that our call for space to be part of the Cabinet Office’s remit, as it crosses so many departments, was also mentioned.
“The debate highlighted the nation’s regional strengths and the work of space clusters in supporting the sector across the UK. Minister Sarah Jones responded on behalf of the Government, and we welcomed her acknowledgement of the importance of UKspace and our role representing industry and in the wider sector.”
Following yesterday afternoon’s publication of the Government’s first multi-year Spending Review, UKspace Head of Policy, Stephanie Ayres, added: “It was encouraging to see that the stated priorities align in a large part with what UKspace and our members have been calling for in terms of an emphasis on R&D, defence, access to finance and long-termism. As a sector, we will now need to step forward and use the levers they are providing to deliver on our collective ambitions for the space industry.
“UKspace will continue to work closely with government departments to make the best case for investment in the space sector – including the use of a ‘one government’ approach to maximise opportunities for space to deliver improved and more efficient public services. We look forward to forthcoming announcements on the Industrial Strategy and how that relates to space.”