The imperative for a vibrant UK space industry

Seeing the UK prioritise its space capabilities is an important step toward securing and protecting the other systems in the domain that deliver situational awareness to forces and intelligence-gathering from orbital assets.

These were the thoughts of two senior Lockheed Martin Space executives who spoke to Shephard at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024.

During the conversation, both Robert Lightfoot, president of Lockheed Martin Space, and Nik Smith, regional director for the UK and Europe, spoke about the importance of resilience within space infrastructure to ensure continuity of critical services back on Earth for both military and civilian applications.

Publishing in September, this will provide further insight into why nations like the UK should invest in space capabilities, and why the domain is of critical importance for all stakeholders in defence.

Smith suggested that the UK and its European allies should continue their work to understand the vulnerabilities from their militaries’ dependence on space-based systems and develop strategies to mitigate those vulnerabilities, harnessing all technologies including AI and machine learning.

The key consideration from the executives was that those nations which are putting effort into rapidly building their space capabilities also look to collaborate with their allies to develop the technology needed to deter emerging threats and create shared industrial capacity that can surge when needed. Where possible, the best option is for nations to align their contributions to this effort with national priorities and industrial specialisations.

According to Lightfoot and Smith, the UK has an opportunity to focus on areas where it can provide the most assistance to allies, leveraging its indigenous talent and capabilities as well as its strong security perspective. However, this needs to be balanced with ensuring it grows its own industrial capacity and skills, as that will be crucial for the UK’s future success and security.

Aiding boots on the ground

From communications and situational awareness to protection and post-battle engagement, the space industry has already been providing huge levels of support and data to armed forces around the globe.

“Any military commander right now is absolutely dependent on space,” Smith remarked.

Lightfoot added that space had become the leading arena for communications and situational awareness technologies for military forces.

Launching the Future - Making the UK's Space Ambition a Reality

“These space systems provide early warning for potential attacks and secure communications to protect and connect our warfighters,” Lightfoot said. “We want these systems to be effective tools for the warfighters and enable them to come home to their families.”

This same concept of helping bring people home, Lightfoot shared, applies to the technologies that are in the weather-monitoring satellites that provide early storm warning as well as building safe and reliable spacecraft like Orion, which will soon bring the first woman and first person of colour to the moon and back to Earth.

Sustainable industries and scaling up

Its experience in the US, where there is greater investment in the space sector than in Europe, has helped Lockheed Martin Space provide guidance and support to both government bodies and businesses throughout the region.

Smith said: “The upstream element is infrastructure and you fundamentally need that infrastructure to deliver the services that come downstream.

“I don’t believe you can be a viable spacefaring nation with software analytics companies,” he added. “Equally, I don’t think you can be a space nation with only the upstream platform providers you need.”

Above: By investing in space, countries like the UK will find it easier to mitigate emerging threats. (Image: Lockheed Martin)

He noted that while there were many innovators and “wonderful startup companies in the UK,” with experienced leaders and lots of ambition, “space is still really hard.”

As regards these younger businesses scaling, Lightfoot added: “There’s a challenge for a lot of the new entrants with new technologies to scale to mission demands.

“If we can partner with them, we can help them be successful and we can also bring their tech into our portfolios of larger space missions.”

By investing in space, countries like the UK will find it easier to mitigate emerging threats, but they require the industrial capacity, specialisation, collaboration and alignment with their allies’ needs. Protecting space assets and fostering close strategic partnerships should be a cornerstone of a developing UK space policy, especially within the realm of defence. Space technology also holds the potential to inspire young people and create high-tech jobs, emphasising the importance of investing in skills and innovation.

Above: Initiatives such as the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre at Northumbria University will be essential for creating the workforce needed for UK space to succeed. (Photo: Northumbria University)

As Smith noted: “We've got to have the right workforce to take the industry forward. The market changes very quickly and what nations demand from their industry changes very quickly, so you have to make sure you've got the industrial capacity, the skills, the talent and the innovation to better respond to those challenges over the next 10–20 years.”

In developing effective messaging and by working with large corporations like Lockheed Martin, the UK government will be able to elevate the priority of space exploration among the electorate, thereby reinforcing the role of this domain in safeguarding national interests.

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