Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support hands-on, practical student rocketry and space engineering competitions, to help tackle skills shortages in the UK space sector.

The UK Space Agency supports practical routes into space careers through its Education and Future Workforce Programme.

In partnership with the European Space Agency, we deliver student competitions such as CanSat, and support university networks and UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space.

UKSA’s £5 million Rocketry Research, Training and Teaching programme supports doctoral training and student rocketry competitions, helping participants develop technical, teamwork and project skills relevant to the UK launch sector.

The UKSA also funds approximately 50 paid internship placements with space-sector employers every year, providing students with hands-on experience of space projects, and practical work experience.