Dear Reader,
Space South Central is thrilled to announce that we’ve been chosen to host one of just two UKSA Ecosystem Champions nationwide! Daniel Smith, formerly our Business Development Manager, is stepping up to take on this pivotal new role—while Victoria May-Chamberlain joins us as our dynamic new Business Engagement Officer.
In more fantastic news, Harwell-based satellite communications trailblazer Satraka has secured £30k from the UK Space Agency through the Space Ecosystem Commercialisation Programme, proudly supported by Space South Central. The Agency has spotlighted all programme awardees, which also include London-based companies Lunasa and Lodestar.
And that’s not all—HydroGNSS has officially launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX rocket! This milestone mission was made possible thanks to the expertise of Space South Central’s world-leading organisations, including the renowned Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
Looking ahead, a major boost is on the horizon: £17 million will be invested into UK space projects by the UK Space Agency, with four of those projects based right here in Space South Central. Among the beneficiaries are the University of Southampton, BAE Systems, and Lodestar Space.
We at Space South Central want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, we will be back in business in early January!
For all the latest updates on our work and the Space South Central cluster, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Ebony Desposito
Digital Marketing Officer
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Space South Central to host new UKSA Ecosystem Champion as cluster strengthens national role
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Space South Central has been selected to host one of the UK Space Agency’s new Space Ecosystem Champions, a role designed to offer companies clearer access to national funding and growth pathways.
Dan Smith, who has spent the past two and a half years as Space South Central’s Business Development Manager, takes up the national post as one of only two champions appointed across the UK. He will work directly with organisations to navigate UKSA, ESA, UKRI, Horizon Europe and DASA opportunities, while helping shape a national funding landscape guide intended to standardise support across clusters.
His remit includes delivering targeted business interventions, identifying growth routes for companies that are not yet programme-ready, and improving visibility of the UK’s funding network.
UKSA’s Space Ecosystem Champion programme runs initially to the end of March, with the agency expecting its impact to inform future support models across the UK.
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UK Space Agency CEO Engages with Regional Innovation During Southampton visit
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Dr Paul Bate explored cutting-edge facilities and met growing SMEs, reinforcing Space South Central's role in the national space endeavour.
The visit highlighted the strategic importance of a cluster that contributes nearly 20% of UK space industry revenue and employs over 14,000 professionals across one of the nation's most dynamic space regions.
Hosted by Space South Central at the University of Southampton's Highfield Campus and Chilworth Science Park, the visit demonstrated the depth and breadth of capabilities that have positioned the south-central region as a cornerstone of Britain's space sector, a region whose influence has shaped national space success for more than seventy years.
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Satraka wins SECP funding to launch market-first compact dual-band feed system
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Harwell-based satellite communications company Satraka has been awarded funding from the UK Space Agency’s Space Ecosystem Commercialisation Programme (SECP), delivered regionally by Space South Central, to accelerate technology development of its innovative dual-band antenna feeding system.
The dual-band feed system combines Ku (10.7–14.5 GHz) and K/Ka (17.7 – 20.2 GHz ad 27.5 – 30 GHz) bands into a single compact unit, which is designed to transform the performance and flexibility of next-generation satellite user terminals.
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HydroGNSS Launches: Regional Pioneers Drive UK's Next-Gen Earth Observation
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The successful launch of the European Space Agency's HydroGNSS mission marks a significant milestone for UK space science—thanks in large part to the exceptional contributions of Space South Central's leading organisations. The two HydroGNSS satellites, designed and constructed in Guildford by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), launched on Friday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, showcasing the thriving innovation ecosystem in the UK's south.
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UK Space Agency launches pilot programme to accelerate commercial growth within the UK’s space ecosystem
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The UK Space Agency’s new programme, delivered in partnership with six local clusters and managed by the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, is driving innovation and growth in the UK space sector.
Eighteen organisations are receiving up to £30,000 each for technology development, market validation, and customer engagement, alongside expert guidance from cluster leads.
Three Space South Central companies are among the awardees:
- Lunasa – Orbital testbed for advanced payload validation (£29,844)
- Lodestar – AI-driven on-orbit SDA payload with LiDAR integration (£30,000)
- Satraka Ltd – Compact Ka/Ku dual-band feed system for satellites (£30,000)
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UK Space Agency invests £17 million to drive next wave of space innovation
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UK Space Agency investment is accelerating breakthrough technologies, boosting commercialisation, and reinforcing the UK’s global leadership in space innovation.
The selected projects span five strategic themes critical to the UK’s space ambitions: space domain awareness, in-orbit servicing and manufacturing, Earth observation, satellite communications, and position, navigation and timing.
Together, these projects will deliver transformative technologies to enhance climate monitoring, improve connectivity, enable sustainable satellite operations, and strengthen national security. From quantum communications and robotic servicing tools to AI-powered pollution tracking and refuelable propulsion systems, these innovations will help build a resilient, competitive UK space sector.
Several of these projects include regional companies:
- BAE Systems Digital Intelligence: £1.47M to develop a satellite service for detecting and tracking Earth-based radio signals for defence and civil use.
- Lodestar Space Ltd (with Magdrive & Cranfield): £1M for autonomous modular robotic tools to service spacecraft in orbit.
- Protolaunch Ltd (with University of Southampton & Naicker Scientific): £1M for a water-based propulsion system combining chemical and electric thrust for sustainable satellite movement.
- University of Southampton: £800K to create a plasma torch system simulating extreme thermal conditions during spacecraft re-entry, enabling high-fidelity material testing and supporting sustainable operations.
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EECL receives ISO9001 accreditation
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Harwell-based EECL has earned ISO certification, reinforcing its position as a trusted RF and Microwave technology supplier. This achievement crowns a remarkable year in which the company launched a new portfolio of V- and W-band test products, expanded its production and test facilities, and featured in our South Central Space Spotlight series. EECL also completed a three-year contract with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, delivering six microwave low-noise amplifiers for ESA’s HydroGNSS mission, launched on 2 December 2025, and supplied GNSS hardware destined for the Moon.
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Space South Central Universities Drive UK Contribution to NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory
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Universities within the Space South Central cluster have played a pivotal role in recent UK-led contributions to NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), the next-generation space telescope designed to identify Earth-like exoplanets and search for signs of life.
With funding from the UK Space Agency, consortia led by the University of Leicester and University College London have now completed early concept design and feasibility studies for key HWO instruments, including a High-Resolution Imager and a Multi-Object Spectrograph.
The programme was strongly anchored in the region, with multi-day instrument design symposia hosted at the University of Portsmouth’s new Space Mission Incubator. This work highlights the region’s growing strength in space science and instrumentation, and its ability to deliver coordinated, high-impact contributions to flagship international space missions.
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Evidence of a massive stellar storm on a nearby star
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An international team involving UCL astronomers has observed the first clear signal of a giant stellar eruption from a star beyond our solar system.
The stellar eruption is analogous to a coronal mass ejection (CME) seen on our Sun, and implies a devastating impact for any planet unlucky enough to orbit the star.
The study, led by ASTRON (Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy) and the Observatoire de Paris-PSL, found the short, intense burst of radio waves from a nearby red dwarf star, located just 130 light years away, using Europe’s powerful LOFAR radio telescope.
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Surrey astronomers help deliver first light data from new 4MOST telescope
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A new telescope designed to study everything from exploding stars to the expansion of the Universe has captured its first light – with University of Surrey researchers playing a key role in bringing the facility into full operation.
The 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) facility, installed on the VISTA telescope at the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Paranal Observatory in Chile, recorded its first data on 18 October, 2025. This milestone is a crucial step in the life of any telescope, marking the moment it is ready to begin its scientific journey.
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DESI team wins prestigious 2026 Berkeley Prize
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The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) collaboration has been awarded the 2026 Lancelot M. Berkeley – New York Community Trust Prize for Meritorious Work in Astronomy.
This international prize, given by the American Astronomical Society, recognises research of outstanding importance published within the preceding 12 months. The DESI team will officially receive the award at the Society’s meeting in January 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Why not have some fun this Christmas by taking part in our Space South Central Christmas Heritage Quiz!
Discover how our region helped shape the UK’s space story — from pioneering research to world-changing technologies. Test your knowledge and uncover the people, places, and achievements that put South Central on the space map!
Make sure to check out our Space Heritage timeline here.
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Join us for Space-Comm Expo Europe in 2026!
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Showcase Your Space Capabilities at Space-Comm Expo Europe!
Space South Central is exhibiting next March and will host 10 regional companies on its stand — from innovative start-ups to established SMEs. This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your products, services, and capabilities to a global audience.
The Cluster will subsidise costs, but places are limited and submitting an expression of interest does not guarantee a spot. To be considered, complete the form by 12 January 2026. Selection will be based on company size, maturity, and your reasons for attending Space-Comm.
Apply Now - here.
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Surrey Venture Studio is now open, inviting Surrey innovators, academics, students and entrepreneurs to ignite their ideas to build a business. So if you have an idea ripe for commercialisation and are ready to start your business journey, seize this exciting opportunity today!
Do you have a business idea you believe could be transformational and marketable, but you’re unsure how to take the first step or secure funding?
Perhaps you already have designs, prototypes, or research that hasn’t yet reached its full revenue-generating potential. If so, then Surrey Venture Studio is here to help you bridge that gap and fulfil your ambitions.
Find out more here.
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ESA Proposal Advice Service
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The ESA Proposal Advice Service (ESA PAS) is a UK Space Agency-funded pilot programme designed to help UK-based organisations improve the quality of their proposals submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA). The service provides free, non-technical advice to organisations who are preparing ESA bids and want to strengthen their applications before submission.
ESA PAS focuses on improving the clarity, structure, and strategic alignment of proposals by identifying common errors and areas for improvement. The aim is to increase the competitiveness of UK bids without providing engineering or technical solutions. Feedback is tailored to the five evaluation criteria used by ESA: background and expertise, understanding of requirements and objectives, quality of the proposed programme of work, adequacy of management, costing and planning, and compliance with administrative tender conditions.
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December has come around very quickly! I trust everyone has had a productive 2025, and I am looking forward to working with many of you in 2026.
The ESA Council of Ministers (CM25) took place in Bremen last week. Here is the UKSA & DSIT joint statement, including the summary of UK funding commitments:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/growth-and-security-at-the-forefront-in-uk-funding-boost-for-european-space-agency
From an ESA Space Solutions perspective, the big news was that the new ACCESS programme was approved, with a total subscription of €306 million (for all of Europe, the UK-specific breakdown will emerge soon). ACCESS is structured around two key elements, both with a long and successful record in supporting European business – ScaleUp, and Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS).
https://access.esa.int/
I recommend reading more about how ScaleUp is building Europe's space commercialisation networks, and how businesses are unlocking the vast potential of space for the benefit of society: ScaleUp Book.pdf
I am always keen to talk to anyone who wants to know more about ESA Space Solutions or would like to talk through their idea to see if they would like to progress.
Email: [email protected]
Linkedin - Grant Day
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Women in Innovation Awards 2025/26
Deadline: Wednesday, 4th February 2026
The Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards support trailblazing women entrepreneurs to maximise the impact of their innovative ideas, accelerate business growth, and contribute to pressing societal, environmental and economic challenges.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is offering up to 60 Women in Innovation Awards to women founders and co-founders of micro, small or medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK.
Successful projects will receive a 12-month package of support that includes a grant of up to £75K, bespoke business support, and a suite of training, networking and role-modelling opportunities.
Read more here.
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Horizon Europe: Innovative space-based applications enhancing capabilities for a resilient Europe
Deadline: Tuesday, 24th February 2026
Themes include downstream solutions for security-critical operations, resiliency and functioning of critical infrastructures in EU and crisis management operations.
Proposals should be built on the exploitation of the distinguishing features of Galileo and EGNOS seeking to enhance the way practitioners prepare for and manage crises and security operations.
Read more here.
Space South Central can support and facilitate introductions to interested parties and coordinate a joined-up approach across the four regional universities to avoid competing bids.
If you are interested or would like to explore potential involvement, please reply directly to Elizabeth Clutton ([email protected]).
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Horizon Europe: Space Data Economy
Deadline: Tuesday, 24th February 2026
Themes include, Energy, Climate adaptation and Environmental footprint reduction, green financing and insurance, Liveable cities of the future.
This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to overcoming sectorial demand fragmentation and support scale up of the space data use, increasing the wider uptake and mass adoption of the EU space data in selected priority areas that are strategic for Europe.
Read more here.
Space South Central can support and facilitate introductions to interested parties and coordinate a joined-up approach across the four regional universities to avoid competing bids.
If you are interested or would like to explore potential involvement, please reply directly to Elizabeth Clutton ([email protected]).
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Measurement for Business (M4B)
Deadline: Open Until Further Notice
NPL has launched Measurement for Business (M4B) to give you access to their specialist measurement science and engineering experts and facilities, at no charge, to help your business grow.
NPL’s expertise can accelerate your product or service getting to market. Their measurement experts can give confidence in your data, opening doors with potential investors.
Read more here.
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Orbit South Central: January 2026
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We’re excited to kick off the new year with our monthly networking event at Surrey Space Centre on Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
Orbit South Central is your opportunity to connect with key players in the UK space industry, explore the region’s latest projects, and discuss the sector at both local and national levels.
Expect insider updates, funding opportunities, and expert insights from across the space ecosystem—all in one dynamic session.
Speakers include:
- James Trayford from the University of Portsmouth who will be speaking about their project which will further develop the free and open-source STRAUSS python library and its applications to investigate 'sonification' - or using sound for data interface. Sonification provides new perspectives on data for all of us that can reveal new insights and discoveries, as well as a crucial channel to interface with data for those who are visually impaired or have non-visual sensory preferences.
- Neil Collier from GCH Test & Computer Services Ltd
- Julian Parfitt from Alrad
Sign up here.
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Help Shape the Future Workforce of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
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Are you a local business leader/manager passionate about the future of your industry? Would you like to connect with other businesses and share your insights with the University of Portsmouth to help shape the next generation of talent?
They're inviting small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to take part in a regional research study focused on the skills that matter and are essential for business growth and survival.
This is a unique opportunity to make your voice heard and help shape education and training that directly supports your business pipeline.
What’s involved?
- A 90-minute online focus group session January 22nd 10.30-12.00pm.
- A chance to network with other local business leaders and managers.
- Your insights will contribute to a study with real regional impact.
If you're interested, simply reply to [email protected]. They'll send you a participant information sheet and consent form with all the details.
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The Space Suppliers Summit is an international business convention connecting buyers and suppliers from across the space manufacturing sector. Now into its second edition, the convention is an opportunity for companies to showcase their unique capabilities, share insights and ideas, and create new networks through targeted business meetings and a high-level conference.
Find out more here.
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Space-Comm Expo at ExCel London is the UK’s leading event for the space industry with over 200 exhibitors, 50 speakers and 5,000 attendees including global leaders and influencers from across government, business, aerospace and defence.
It’s the largest event for the UK space industry with international delegations and visitors from NASA, ESA, NATO alongside Primes, SMEs and Start-Ups at the forefront of technology and innovation.
Now entering its fifth year, the multi award-winning Space-Comm Expo is dedicated to supporting the space industry with a unique format including UK and international exhibitors, product demonstrations, keynote speakers, multiple conference theatres, roundtables and 1-2-1 networking opportunities.
Find out more here.
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The PocketQube Conference provides a unique insight into the world of PocketQubes, provided by talks given by industry professionals, networking sessions, satellite factory tours and more!
The 9th Annual PocketQube Conference is an international conference addressing the technical challenges associated with developing PocketQube technology for widening space access, shaping the future of space democratization in the process.
The 9th Annual PocketQube Conference is an international event addressing the technical challenges associated with developing PocketQubes!
Find out more here.
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Military Space Situtional Awarness Conference
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Seize your spot at the 21st annual Military Space Situational Awareness Conference from May 5-7, 2026.
As Europe's premier event for space domain awareness, join 250+ space professionals, 40+ speakers, and representatives from 20+ nations.
Immerse yourself in three days of innovation, collaboration with industry leaders, and insights from international military experts. Don't miss this "must-attend" opportunity to shape the future of situational awareness, leaving with the tools to make immediate impact in your organisation.
Find out more here.
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The SpaceCraft initiative at Surrey Space Centre at the University of Surrey makes it easier for organisations to create space-flight equipment and conduct space experiments, plus it enables students and companies to develop practical engineering skills.
Businesses can use Surrey's facilities to make and/or test space-related prototypes, with dedicated space engineers available to advise on early design, development, material choices and prototyping of innovative new space projects.
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The UK space sector is a vibrant ecosystem comprising diverse stakeholder communities, renowned for numerous innovative and globally recognised projects and programmes. However, the sector has traditionally lacked a cohesive systems approach to unite these varied forces and foster collaboration towards a shared vision for the future.
The Space Enterprise Community (SEC) platform has been designed to help address this challenge and support the UK Space Ecosystem to connect and thrive, offering users a selection of tools, resources and groups that connect stakeholders from different communities to enable collaboration while providing support and real-time updates on the latest news, events and opportunities.
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As part of the Satellite Applications Catapult’s national network of 15 Space Enterprise Labs across the UK, facilities in Guildford (Surrey Research Park) and London (IDEALondon) provide a critical platform for businesses and researchers to accelerate space innovation.
As physical anchors for the UK Space Ecosystem and complementing the Space Enterprise Community platform, the Space Enterprise Labs (SELs) bring communities together, both locally and nationally.
They include free access to resources, virtual demonstrations and expertise, as well as technology including:
- Large interactive touch screens and virtual canvas with full connectivity capabilities, enabling seamless delivery of meetings, business support sessions, capability demonstrations, and opportunity development workshops.
- Video conferencing licenses and professional webcams to run high-quality webinars and engage the community.
- Virtual Reality Headsets for demonstrations of space capability (1-on-1 or at events) such as the bespoke Virtual Reality Satellite 101 demonstration featuring the launch, deployment, and operation of a satellite.
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