Space agency is go...

The UK is to have its own space agency, the government announced this afternoon. The agency will replace the British National Space Centre in a bid to bring greater efficiency and clout to the sector.

The agency, which doesn’t seem to have a name yet, will consolidate the efforts of all the bodies that currently oversee space activities—a total of six government departments as well as two of the research councils, the Technology Strategy Board and the Met Office.
The decision follows a public consultation on how the government should structure its space efforts in the future to make the most out of the UK’s technological strength in the field.

“Our space sector hasn't missed a beat during this recession. This is the classic story of outstanding UK science and entrepreneurship continuing to create jobs and achieve exceptional growth,” science minister Paul Drayson said during a speech at the Appleton Space Conference in Oxfordshire this afternoon. “The new space agency is about making sure that the UK fully exploits its competitive advantage in satellites, robotics and related technologies.“

The agency’s goals include strengthening the UK’s position within the European Space Agency, working with industry to decide how to make the most of space technologies and provide a “clear voice” on space issues.

However, the government is yet to reveal the size of the agency’s budget, an issue which could prove crucial if it is really going to fulfil its goals. In the build up to the announcement, many scientists have said that they back the idea of having an agency and that it could serve to put the UK in a strong position internationally, both within and outside ESA. But they have also warned that it will have little influence without a budget of its own—a problem which appears to have held the BNSC back from playing a more central role.

The announcement comes on the same day as the BNSC published its Space Exploration review, which suggests that the UK should increase its space efforts. The report appears to favour a mixed human and robotic space exploration programme for the UK, projecting costs of around £100 million per year for the first few years, increasing to £229m in 2015.

The review also backs the MoonLITE programme, a non-ESA robotic mission to the moon that is currently in its design stages but has suffered from delays to its budget as a result of the ongoing problems at the Science and Technology Facilities Council.