1 Introduction
1. The Government's space strategy for 2003-06 outlined
three objectives for its investment in space:
- To enhance the United Kingdom's
standing in astronomy, planetary and environmental sciences;
- To stimulate increased productivity by promoting
the use of space in government science and commerce; and
- To develop innovative space systems to deliver
a sustainable improvement in the quality of life.[2]
2. The Government spent £188.6 million in 2003-04
on its civil space activities. This level of expenditure on civil
space is small and tightly focused compared to the budgets of
several other nations such as the United States, France and Germany.
The United Kingdom civil space activities are carried out by a
partnership of 10 Government Departments, Agencies and Research
Councils (Figure 1). These bodies co-ordinate the space
policy and programmes through the British National Space Centre
(BNSC) Partnership which is housed in the Department of Trade
and Industry (the Department).[3]Figure
1: Members of the BNSC Partnership and their priorities in space
| Partner
| Priorities in Space
|
| Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC)
| Invests in space in its pursuit of high quality basic research in astronomy, planetary science and particle physics.
|
| Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
| Space data for improving the understanding of the Earth system and reducing uncertainties in environmental prediction.
|
| Office of Science and Technology (OST)
| Interests in science policy and funding the Research Councils.
|
| Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
| Focused on increasing productivity in the economy through expanding the use of innovative space products and services, and developing competitive industry to deliver space infrastructure and services in the global market.
|
| Meteorological Office
| International space infrastructure for global space data for meeting its key performance targets for weather forecasting and service quality.
|
| Ministry of Defence (MOD)
| Effective harmonisation of civil and military investment in space technologies, collaboration on multiple-use items and guidance about opportunities for United Kingdom firms in the space defence sector, especially the United States.
|
| Department for Transport (DfT)
| Investing in the development of European satellite navigation services in partnership with DTI and industry.
|
| Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
| Important user of space services which underpin national environmental priorities such as climate change research and agriculture policy. Has invested directly in the development of space infrastructure and services.
|
| Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC)
| Has capabilities and facilities for space engineering at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
|
| Foreign and Commonwealth Office
| Responsible for some aspects of international cooperation on space activities.
|
Source: BNSC Headquarters (C&AG's Report,
Figure 1)
3. Exploiting space is expensive, and much of the
United Kingdom's activity is undertaken in collaboration with
other nations. In Europe the main collaborative body is the 15
member state European Space Agency (ESA) which has been in existence
since 1975. Some two thirds of the United Kingdom's annual space
budget is spent with ESA and EUMETSAT, an intergovernmental organisation
which provides and operates Europe's weather forecasting satellites.[4]
The remainder is spent on the United Kingdom's national programmes
principally run by the Department, the Natural Environment Research
Council (NERC) and the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research
Council (PPARC) partly in collaboration with other nations, notably
the United States and Japan.
2 C&AG's Report, Executive Summary para 1 Back
3
ibid, para 2 Back
4
C&AG's Report, Executive Summary paras 3-4 Back
|
