Our Impact
It is our role to catalyse growth in the Satellite Applications Sector in the UK. Since we were set up in 2012, we have had a major impact on the sector and you can find out more about our impact through our case studies and annual reports.
The latest ‘Size and Health of the UK Space Industry’ Survey 2022 (covering 2020/21) shows that the UK space industry income has grown to £17.5 billion (up from £16.6 billion in 2019/20, inflation adjusted). It contributes £7 billion GVA to the UK economy, with 48,800 employed in the industry. The largest segment is Space Applications, followed by Space Manufacturing and Operations. By 2030, the UK space sector aims to have captured 10% of a global space market worth £400bn and the Catapult aims to have contributed directly to £5bn of that growth.
KEY STATS FROM 2023 ANNUAL REPORT
- 508 industry collaborations
- 836 SMEs supported
- 111 international projects
- 242 academic collaborations
- Over £15m of research and development facilities
- 210 employees in 2023
Enabling Benefits on Earth through Infrastructure in Space
The space sector has been transforming rapidly, enabled by new entrants, low cost launch and new manufacturing techniques. New mega constellations are a significant opportunity that enable onward export of new services. We are also expanding our focus to enable and support longer-term opportunities for innovation such as microgravity, assembly and manufacture in space, and space energy.
DISC
Our DISC facility at Harwell enables advanced manufacturing techniques for the Space sector and will deliver 4,000 high-value jobs to the Oxfordshire region by 2030 and provide an annual contribution of £1bn to the UK economy through the growth of new companies developing spacecraft and associated technologies.
Find out moreSpace Energy Initiative
We have co-founded the Space Energy Initiative, which aims to support the UK’s ambition national clean energy policy, but establishing the first orbital demonstrator for space-based solar power by 2030 and a first-of-its-kind operational system, delivering power into the grid by 2040.
Find out moreIn-Orbit Demonstration (IOD)
Our IOD programme allows companies to trial new services in Space. These missions are the precursors of new sources of data, empowering our data economy and delivering more than £50 million per annum of new revenue to the UK. Our first mission attracted Orbital Micro Systems (OMS) who are delivering advanced weather services and are expected to grow to £50M by 2023.
Find out moreAnnual Reports
You can find out more about our impact and yearly activities in our annual reports:
