Episode 7 of NEXUS goes across the pond to understand the United Kingdom’s national space priorities and its emerging space industry, with guests Matt Archer of the UK Space Agency, Colin Macleod of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, and Dave Sandy, managing director of The Aerospace Corporation UK Ltd.

Archer said the UK is “very much still focused on two priorities, which is driving economic growth and improving national security outcomes.” Looking ahead, he noted the UK will release “a cross-government delivery plan in the spring of next year” that will “really flesh out what it is we’re going to be doing over the next four to five years in practical terms for industry.”

Macleod emphasized the UK’s enabling regulatory approach. “We want to be off the critical path for their operation. So we license as early as we can do. And then we work with them to make sure that they can continue to develop their capabilities and build their vehicles ready for launch,” he said. “Since 2021, when we took over the role of the regulator, we’ve issued over 400 licenses in terms of orbit, space port missions, launch over. We have not yet stopped a mission from taking place because they didn’t have a license.”

Sandy highlighted Aerospace UK’s role in bridging U.S.-UK collaboration. “We help [UK partners] with frameworks and a systematic approach to drive high growth for a UK economy that is still to wake up to the full benefit of what space can do for citizens,” he said.