Space Technology: Northern Ireland
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the space craft sector in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Maria Eagle
The Ministry of Defence recognises the significance of Northern Ireland’s growing impact to the UK – and global – space sectors, and we welcome the recent announcement of European Space Agency’s €862 million contract with Thales Alenia Space, whose propulsion facility is located in Belfast. In 2021-22, the sector in Northern Ireland generated £104 million and supported 545 jobs across 62 organisations. Northern Ireland secured over £1.5 million from the UK Space Agency to boost its commercial supply chain in line with emerging technology requirements, and to harness space-enabled data to improve the delivery of public services. Further highlighting Northern Ireland’s vital role, the UK Space Agency hosted the 2023 UK Space Conference at the ICC Belfast and looks forward to bringing the In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) Conference there in June 2025.
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