The UK Space Agency Overview for CEOS September 2012

The UK Space Agency An executive agency of Department of Business Innovation and Skills at the heart of UK efforts to explore and benefit from space. Reporting to Minister of Universities and Science (David Willetts) UK Civil Space Strategy Themes: Growth through new opportunities; Growth from export; Innovation supporting growth; Science to enable growth; Education for growth; Growth through smarter government Twitter feed: spacegovuk

UKSA context (EO focus) 70% of civil space investment by UKSA and partners is channelled through ESA 33% increase in optional ESA funding in Ministerial in 2012, mainly comms and EO Harwell: Satellite Applications Catapult, facility for Climate and Environmental Monitoring from Space (CEMS), ESA ECSAT

Harwell and the wider UK space sector Co-located universities and industry ESA Centre Applications Climate Change Exploration ESA Business Incubator RAL Space: Including existing facilities Harwell Space Cluster Industry, universities and research organisations UKSA partners (TSB, research councils, MoD, Met Office, ) ESA EU space programme International Space Agencies Satellite Applications Catapult CEMS: Centre for Environmental Monitoring from Space GEO and CEOS Copernicus Galileo

Space Growth Action Plan Industry-led report, UK Gov will respond Target: 10% share of space economy by 2030 Climate and environmental services is 1 of 5 identified markets

UKSA co-ordination activities in area of climate services Expert representation at –CEOS SST Virtual Constellation –CEOS/CGMS WG Clim Secretariat funding for UK stakeholder group on “Climate Data from Space” –Industry, govt, MetO, academia, RCUK etc Support ESA EO programmes, including Climate Change Initiative

UK stakeholder concern for WG Climate consideration UK (and others) are investing in capacity for climate data records from space, including SST –big data facilities at Harwell, ESA CCI subscription Loss of expertise & documentation relevant to calibration of past sensors is a danger to the ability of space-based CDRs to be credible and improvable in the long run Space agencies including CEOS and CGMS agencies need to take active steps to digitize and curate paper-based archives of such information –Of course, some action is taking place already, but is it sufficient and is it co-ordinated?

UKSA EO Team: Ruth Boumphrey, Maria Adams, Alice Bunn, Beth Greenaway, Elizabeth Seaman, Tracey Whitbread