The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has signed an agreement with an aerospace firm to ferry a team of all-British astronauts into space.
The agreement, with Texas-based Axiom Space, would see the team spend up to two weeks in orbit to carry out scientific research, demonstrate new technologies and participate in education and outreach activities.
British astronaut Tim Peake has said he will come out of retirement to lead the mission after last flying to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2015 with the European Space Agency.
“There’s a lot happening in the space sector right now, and I think for the UK to be at the forefront of this new era of exploring commercial opportunities is a fantastic thing,” he said on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“There are several hurdles to overcome: the financial model needs to be secured, crew selection and training, and Nasa needs to approve the mission and they need to identify a slot if it is to go to the ISS,” he added.
“So it’s early days and there are several steps to go through, but it is fantastic that we have started the ball rolling with these exploratory discussions.”
The mission builds on the government’s National Space Strategy, which aims to promote growth in the UK sector. UKSA has called on UK universities, research institutions and industry to share their ideas for experiments and technology demonstrations that could be conducted by the crew during their two-week orbit.
It is also fielding ideas from domestic organisations for a national space education and public engagement programme as part of efforts to promote STEM uptake.
UKSA said it chose Axiom Space because it is the commercial space industry’s only full-service orbital mission provider that can conduct end-to-end crewed missions to the ISS. The firm sent its first commercial astronauts into orbit in 2022 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and it has also been awarded a $140m contract by Nasa to provide at least one habitable spacecraft to attach to the ISS.
Dr Paul Bate, UKSA chief executive, said: “This agreement paves the way for UK astronauts to conduct scientific research in orbit, and to inspire millions of us here on Earth.
“It takes thousands of people to complete a crewed space mission and return the astronauts safely home, highlighting the huge variety of careers available in the UK space sector right now.
“There is much to do, and this agreement is the springboard for the UKSA, Axiom Space and the mission sponsors to assess how we best push forward the frontiers of knowledge and innovation, and showcase the power of space to improve lives on Earth.”
UKSA has ramped up its funding this year in a bid to grow the UK’s domestic space sector. This included £50m to fund a new constellation of satellites, another £50m to develop cutting-edge research and development facilities, in addition to a £6.5m fund to support 18 smaller projects focused on local priorities.
