Government boosts space tech funding to cut carbon emissions and improve energy security

Funding for pioneering new space technologies will help to cut carbon emissions, improve energy security and enhance the UK’s reputation as a “science superpower”, the Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has announced today.

£3m of grant funding will be made available for space-based solar power projects that collect the Sun’s energy using solar panels orbiting the Earth and can deliver clean energy, day and night, unaffected by the weather.

The technology has the potential to boost energy security by providing reliable, affordable alternatives to “expensive and volatile” fossil fuels, while reducing the UK’s contributions to climate change.

Grant funding will also be made available for “cutting-edge” weather monitoring sensors to aid more accurate weather forecasts. The sensors will be put into orbit for the first time, thanks to a partnership with data and analytics company Spire Global.

The Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder (HYMS), developed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space, will help meteorological agencies and businesses around the world involved with planning, shipping and flood warnings. It is four times more powerful than the sensors used on existing satellites.

In a further demonstration of the government’s commitment to the sector, Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris will serve as the first-ever National Space Champion.

He will work closely with industry to ensure the UK’s space sector continues to grow, attract investment, and develop innovative products. Morris is a longstanding advocate for the UK space industry and chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Space.

Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng commented: “Space-based solar power could provide an affordable, clean and reliable source of energy for the whole world to benefit from, helping the move away from expensive fossil fuels.

“Today’s investment is an exciting example of how we can go even further in our ambitions to make the UK a science superpower. I am also delighted that the HYMS technology, developed in Oxfordshire, will be put into service by Spire Global to help improve weather forecasting.

“These projects are major milestones for our National Space Strategy, developing the UK’s space capabilities while boosting the economy and delivering high-skill jobs.”

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