UK Space Agency to be scrapped in cost-cutting measure
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is set to be absorbed by Whitehall as the Government seeks to cut the cost of bureaucracy
The UK Space Agency (UKSA), which is based in Swindon, is set to be absorbed by Whitehall as the Government seeks to cut the cost of bureaucracy.
The agency will merge with Peter Kyle's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in April 2026, in a move the Government said would cut "duplication" and ensure "clear ministerial oversight".
It follows a commitment from the Prime Minister to reduce costs and cut the number of quangos (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations), starting with the abolition of NHS England announced in March.
Space minister Sir Chris Bryant said: "Bringing things in house means we can bring much greater integration and focus to everything we are doing while maintaining the scientific expertise and the immense ambition of the sector."
The merger of the organisation, which also has offices in London and the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, will see them become a unit within DSIT, staffed by experts from both organisations and retaining the UKSA name.
Founded in 2010, UKSA is responsible for supporting the growth of Britain's space sector.
Space, which already generates an annual income of £18.6 billion and employs 55,000 people across the country, was one of 11 "frontier" manufacturing industries prioritised in the Government's industrial strategy published in June.
Sir Chris added: "You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see the importance of space to the British economy.
"This is a sector that pulls investment into the UK, and supports tens of thousands of skilled jobs right across the country, while nearly a fifth of our GDP is dependent on satellites."
The announcement of the UKSA-DSIT merger comes as the Government publishes more than 60 recommendations from the space industry on improving the way the sector is regulated.
These include proposals to encourage investment in potentially lucrative areas such as space junk removal and in-orbit refuelling and repair services, known as rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO).