Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to allow UK companies in the space sector to retain full participation in (a) Copernicus, (b) Galileo and Egnos, (c) Govsatcom, (d) Iris, (e) the Space Situational Awareness programme and (f) Space Surveillance and Tracking in the event that the UK leaves the EU.

The UK has played a major part in developing the main EU space programmes, Galileo, Copernicus and Space Surveillance and Tracking, which have supported the rapid growth of the UK space sector and contributed directly to our prosperity and security. My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State and I have been clear that we want our companies and our universities to continue participating in key EU space programmes.

The IRIS and Space Situational Awareness programmes are European Space Agency (ESA) programmes, rather than EU programmes. ESA is an international organisation and the UK’s membership of it will not be affected by the UK leaving the EU. ESA programmes will continue to play an important role in delivering UK national space objectives.