The UK's Ministry of Defence has revealed plans to invest as much as £1.4 billion (€1.68 billion) into its space sector in a bid to bring it up to speed with key NATO allies such as the US.
The UK from space. Credit: Anton Balazh / Shutterstock
The UK as seen from space; the UK Space Agency has been active since 1988. Credit: Anton Balazh / Shutterstock
Designed to "protect Britain's interests in space", the government unveiled a strategy that will see £968 million invested into cutting-edge technology to bolster the ISTARI system - a global surveillance and intelligence system for military operations - over the next decade while pumping a further £61 million into laser communication technology.
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The Defence Space Strategy (DSS) outlines the government's plans to bolster the UK's presence in space, ensuring the Earth's orbit is "safe for all" while potentially creating high-skilled and high-paying jobs.
This investment will exist on top of the £5 billion investment into UK’s Skynet satellite communications capability which provides communication services to the UK's Armed Forces.
"It’s crucial we continue to push the frontiers of our defence space ambitions, enhancing our military resilience and strengthening our nation’s security", Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement.
The government claims the DSS outlines how the UK will protect its space interests, build stability, increase resilience and prevent conflicts from extending into space.
In addition to the £1.4 billion investment, a series of support programmes will be funded through existing investments, including:
- MINERVA - a collection of satellites that integrate with land, sea, and air to disseminate data from the UK and its allies to provide front-line guidance for the army, set to be funded through the ISTARI system.
- PROMETHEUS 2 - two satellites around the size of a shoebox will provide a test platform for monitoring through GPS, radio signals and sophisticated imaging to share with combat allies
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"With this strategy, the Ministry of Defence will protect and promote the United Kingdom’s interests in space, and take a leading role in the coalition of like-minded nations and organisations who have come together to ensure space is there for the benefit of all", Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said in a statement.
Concerns could be raised about increased surveillance, although spying on civilians is still illegal under British law.
Last year, Europe's top court ruled that the UK's use of mass surveillance violated the human right to privacy.
The right to privacy is protected under both the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the UN's Declaration of Human Rights.
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