Following the news that Thales and Leonardo will be working via the Space Alliance to expand its operations in the UK;

James Marques, Associate Aerospace, Defense and Security Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“Thales and Leonardo’s joint venture with Space Alliance could provide a further boost to the UK’s ambitious plans to grow its nascent space industry.

“Space Alliance’s backers already have over 60 years’ experience in the sector, with their names behind famous projects such as the Galileo navigation and the Copernicus Earth observation satellites. With a renewed focus on investing over $20 billion in the UK and growing the skill and knowledge base already in the country, Thales and Leonardo’s UK arms may prove to be key enablers in Britain’s aim to develop the first European-based indigenous satellite launch capability.

“Besides the military advantages of satellite communications and reconnaissance, the growth potential of the commercial space business is huge. Given the pending opening of two spaceports at Cornwall and Shetland, the UK has already given itself a head-start in becoming a key destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) and jobs growth in the space sector, which is both a strategic advantage and an economic opportunity.

“GlobalData predicts the military satellite market alone will be worth $9.1 billion by 2028, but commercial space activity – sharing the same launch infrastructure – will grow rapidly in the coming years as investment and expertise from experienced organisations such as Space Alliance bring launch costs down and product offerings multiply.”