News

Top Stories

• Space innovation and Growth Team is Launched
  The purpose of the Space IGT is to involve the entire UK space community in setting out the challenges and opportunities that will govern its future value, competitiveness and hence growth.
  The IGT will operate through five distinct workstreams
  • Markets and wealth generation
  • Industrial capability and technology
  • Delivering public policy through space
  • Awareness raising and
  • Finance and procurement
  
  
• European Commission publishes its third call for proposals for FP7/Space
  With a budget of EUR 114 million, this call consists of three parts:
  • Strengthening Space Foundations (58M€).
    The call focuses on developing Europe's capacity to explore space, protect its space assets and reduce its dependence on critical technologies from outside Europe.
    • Space exploration projects
    • Securing European assets in space
    • Enhanced European strategic non-dependence in the area of critical space technologies
      
  • Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (47M€).
    The call aims to stimulate the development of Earth observation services in new areas, such as water management, biodiversity monitoring, forest monitoring and agri-environment observation.
    
  • Support for cross cutting activities (9M€).
    The EU continues to be committed to international cooperation in space, and the establishment of closer links with other major space powers and third countries
    • Specific International Cooperation Actions (SICA) in the space domain
      more.....
      

• Harwell SIC ESA Space Facility - Official Opening July 2009
  Lord Drayson (UK, Minister of State for Science and Innovation) and Jean-Jacques Dordain (ESA Director General) will formally open the ESA Centre at Harwell at a Ceremony, followed by a UK Space Industry Seminar in London on 22nd July. On 23rd July there will be the opportunity to visit Harwell, learn more about how the new facility will operate and meet with industry guest from the UK, Europe and International guest.
  
  To find out more about attending the opening Ceremony, the Industry Seminar and the Harwell Facility, login to the Members Area of Scens
  
  
• RDA Task Force on Space
  At the request of the Minister for Science and Innovation, SEEDA established an RDA Task Force on Space. The Task Force involved a number of the UK RDA's and other government departments with a remit "to scope better engagement on promoting the space industry in regions and to help inform the business case for the specific requests for funding"
  The Task Force produced the following interim recommendations.
  To read the interim report, login to the Members Area
  • Establish an “Innovation (Science) and Growth Team”
  • Consider the establishment of a UK Space Agency
  • Maximise the return from the UK/ESA Space Facility, Harwell
  • Further develop and disseminate the evidence for the national and regional impact and opportunities in the Space Sector, and articulate the role of the “IGT”
    
    
• Scens Supports UKTI in the US
  18 May 2009, US
  UK Trade and Investment organised a mission to the US to encourage US Space Companies to consider inward investment into the UK. the new Harwell Space Facility is a key focal point and provides an excellent opportunity for UK companies to work closely with US Companies.
  There has long been collaboration between the UK and US on Space, dating back to before the Apollo missions, so collaboration is not new. Now through, the opportunities are many and more varied.
  Find out more in the Members Area
  
  
• S-Band Auction in Europe
  14 May 2009, Brussels
  On May 14 the European Commission published its selection decision for the S-band process in Europe. The Commission has selected two operators, Solaris Mobile Limited and Inmarsat Ventures Limited, each of which receive 2 x 15 MHz of S-band spectrum, to provide mobile satellite services across Europe.
  Development and deployment must be completed by May 2011. Download the European Commission Press Release here.

Read More

• Visit the Members Area for more details on these and other news Stories.