Background
Space plays a vital role in our lives, with satellites monitoring the climate, providing communications, offering national security, and underpinning our financial transactions. The space sector is a large part of the UK’s economy, employing over 45,000 individuals and worth over £16.4 billion per year. It also presents many opportunities for the future and is projected to be worth £490 billion by 2030.
In 2021, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) released its first National Space Strategy (NSS) to make the UK one of the world’s most attractive and innovative space economies. In 2023, government announced that it planned to accomplish this with £10 billion funding over the next decade, including more than £1.75 billion specifically allocated for the UK Space Agency (UKSA). The UKSA is government’s executive agency that plays a major role in delivering the goals and objectives set out in the NSS.
Scope
This report will provide an evaluation of the UKSA’s work to deliver the NSS. This will include:
- an assessment of the understanding between the government and UKSA in the UKSA’s role as a delivery partner
- an assessment of the UKSA’s resource allocation and its capability to deliver the NSS objectives
- an evaluation of the UKSA’s framework for reviewing progress
NAO Team
Director: Charles Nancarrow
Senior Audit Manager: Rebecca Jones