Today at the he UK has strengthened its role in the European Space Agency - ESA with £1.84 billion investment in the next 5-year programme.  

Science Minister George Freeman has led successful negotiations at #CM22, securing record commitments to grow the UK space sector and deliver the UK Government’s National Space Strategy ambitions.  

The landmark deal includes:

• important UK investment of £315 million in Earth observation and climate programmes: a 45% increase, deploying funds set aside for Copernicus participation to support the sector while EU programme association continues to face delays
• ESA commitment to the UK-built Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover, which is set to launch to Mars in 2028, with UK industry set to play a leading role in developing a new landing platform
• UK leadership in space sustainability via satellite management, maintenance and retrieval to support UK ambitions to lead in global space sustainability regulation and innovation
• leading UK involvement in commercially focused programmes, including communications and navigation, driving further innovation in the satellite industry
• UK leadership in the Vigil space weather mission, which will travel to a point in deep space known as L5 and give advance warning of dangerous solar storms, enhancing and securing observational capabilities, while supporting expertise such as that delivered by the UK Met Office’s Space Weather Operations Centre
• enabling the UK to set the standards for satellite climate measurements, with funding secured for further development of the TRUTHS mission, which was first proposed by scientists at the National Physical Laboratory to deliver a 10x increase in the accuracy of climate measurements

Read more on today’s outcomes 👉 https://lnkd.in/eNypSRCu