The new UK approach

How important is space to the United Kingdom? Are existing institutional arrangements for space in the UK Government adequate? Does the UK derive the right benefits from the European Agency (ESA) and the European Union (EU) activities? What roles must public space expenditure play? What is the proper balance between science and applications? How can the innovation and growth potential of the space sector be best realised? While it remains uncertain if a “new UK approach” to space policy exists or is about to materialise within the government, there has certainly been a remarkable, forward-looking debate on these questions in the UK in recent months. This ongoing process of re-evaluation of space policy in the UK should be of interest not only with a view to evolving UK policies, but also for the European space effort as a whole.