UK Space Agency launches in Swindon with Minister of Outer Space Lord Mandelson

Mark Henderson, Science Editor & , : {}

When Apollo 13 ran into trouble on its way to the Moon in 1970, its commander, Jim Lovell, famously announced to mission control: Houston, we have a problem.

Should Major Tim Peake encounter mishaps when he flies to the International Space Station as Britains first official astronaut, he may find himself reporting to a less glamorous destination: Swindon.

The Wiltshire town, better known for its roundabouts and car factories, is now headquarters for Britains first national space agency, which was launched yesterday by Major Peake and Lord Mandelson, the Business Secretary.

The new UK Space Agency (UKSA) will manage all the Governments activities in civilian spaceflight and aims to transform the sector into an economic powerhouse worth 40 billion a year with 100,000 jobs by 2030. The British version of Nasa should end a patchwork structure blamed for holding up growth.

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Lord Mandelson, who said he was speaking as Secretary of State for Outer Space, said the new body would be a focal point for an industry that already contributes 6 billion to the economy and supports 68,000 jobs.

He highlighted the space industrys role in providing universal broadband connections, high-definition television and other telecommunications: Although it is cutting-edge, this stuff is not sci-fi. It may start in Space but it comes down to Earth very quickly and is directly relevant to all our daily lives.

Lord Drayson, the Science and Innovation Minister, said the new agency would take over the Swindon offices of the British National Space Centre, the less powerful body it replaces. It will remain close to the two main space funding bodies the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Natural Environment Research Council which are also based in the town.

The agency was officially launched in London when Lord Drayson handed a computer console to Major Peake, an army Apache helicopter pilot selected last year as a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut. The astronaut unveiled the UKSA logo: a red arrow striking out for the sky across a Union Jack.

The agency will have a 230 million annual budget, including 16 million from industry for a new International Space Innovation Centre in Harwell, Oxfordshire.