UK Space Agency

The growing global ambition for space exploration will be realised through critical technology evolutions and breakthroughs. The UK must decide its role in these ambitions and set out its areas of focus for national technology development to support future space exploration capabilities. The objective of the Space Exploration Technology Roadmap is therefore to identify areas of existing strength and under-developed technologies to be used in future space exploration missions. The identification of the technologies referenced in this document was founded on the requirements needed to meet the ambitions of ESA Exploration Missions, opportunities within NASA Exploration Missions and the wider global space sector, including upcoming commercial opportunities.
This roadmap will guide UK Space Agency decision-making by focusing on technologies where UK-based academia and industry are leading or well-placed to lead. The roadmap supports the aims of the National Space Strategy to grow and level-up the space sector and put the UK at the forefront of pioneering research and development, and fits within the framework of civil capabilities announced in July 2023 as part of the National Space Strategy in Action. The UK Space Agency has utilised and built upon information in various publications and through consultation with stakeholders in identifying the selected technologies which are the most appropriate for the UK to focus on developing for the purposes of space exploration.

UK Space Vision 2025 is a glimpse of what a space enabled world may look like in 2025, what it will mean for UK’s economy, for UK’s Government, and for consumers, families and citizens. It was inspired by the recommendation of various stakeholders and presents a forward vision of a space enabled world and the benefits to the UK of maintaining its lead role in Space.

This report evaluates the National Space Technology Programme (NSTP) against delivering support for growth of the space sector. Although overall the programme is deemed to have been very successful, the report provides detailed recommendations for areas which can be improved.

The Space Innovation and Growth Strategy, published in February 2010, created real momentum in the sector. It brought industry, academia and Government together around the common cause of driving economic growth and provided the foundation for a transition of the UK space sector from a niche industry towards a high-technology, mainstream, industrial and science sector.This report affirms the ambition to grow and identifies the new actions that are needed to deliver further growth.