As part of his visit, he officially opened the UK Space and Defence Gateway.
The Gateway is aligned with the principles of the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s (SMI) Astra Carta, a global framework launched by His Majesty, as Prince of Wales.
These are designed to ensure the space sector supports a sustainable future.
During the visit, the SMI announced a partnership with Harwell Science and Innovation Campus to advance the Astra Carta principles and establish an investment council.
The partnership will bring together leaders from across the space ecosystem to accelerate practical collaboration, innovation and investment in support of a more sustainable space economy.
The Astra Carta Seal will be installed in the Gateway.
About the UK Space and Defence Gateway
The Gateway will be a dedicated hub for the space and defence sectors, driving national and global collaboration between government, academia, innovators and industry.
It will focus on:
- linking innovation to investment
- building collaborative partnerships to shape tomorrow’s space and defence economy
- helping businesses to sustainably start, grow and scale in the UK
The Gateway is based in a new co-working and events space at the heart of the Harwell Space Cluster.
The King’s visit
The King was greeted on arrival by
- Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Founder of the UK Space and Defence Gateway and Director of Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus at the UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
- Space Minister, Baroness Liz Lloyd
- Air Chief Marshal Sir Harvey Smyth, Chief of the Air Staff
- Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Marjorie Glasgow BEM
An anchor organisation
His Majesty then visited STFC’s RAL Space facility, the UK’s National Space Laboratory, hosted by:
- Dr Sarah Beardsley, Director of RAL Space
- Professor Michele Dougherty, Astronomer Royal, Executive Chair of STFC and UK Research and Innovation Space Senior Responsible Officer.
For over sixty years RAL Space has provided the specialist expertise and end-to-end capabilities that underpin space applications around the world.
These include Earth observation work that supports action on climate change, biodiversity loss, and resilience to environmental change.
It has contributed to more than 200 instruments in space and has played a key role in establishing the UK as a competitive force in the global space economy.
RAL Space is one of the anchor organisations of the Harwell Space Cluster.
Other anchor organisations on the campus include:
- the European Space Agency (ESA), which established a hub for satellite communications and commercialisation at Harwell in 2009
- the UK Space Agency
- the ESA Business Incubation Centre
- the Satellite Applications Catapult
The Gateway opening
The King then visited the Quad, home of the UK Space and Defence Gateway, where His Majesty saw demonstrations from ESA, as well as from fast-growing space companies:
- Astroscale
- Magdrive
- Open Cosmos
- Orbitfab
- Oxford Space Systems
- Space Solar
The King met Gateway champions including:
- Dr Josef Aschbacher, Director General of ESA
- Jim Stretton, Managing Director, Harwell Campus
- John Abbott, CEO, Satellite Applications Catapult
- Doug Liddle, Chair of UK Space
They also met other senior figures from government, industry, academia and the investor community.
To conclude the visit, His Majesty unveiled a plaque, made of sustainable material based on recycled plastic, to mark the official opening of the UK Space and Defence Gateway.
A significant moment for the UK’s space sector
Space Minister Liz Lloyd said:
The opening of the Space and Defence Gateway is a significant moment for the UK’s space sector, and His Majesty The King’s visit to Harwell underlines the vital contribution this cluster makes to our economy.
His Majesty’s leadership through the Astra Carta has set a clear course for a sustainable and ambitious future for the industry. We are committed to building the national capabilities that deliver better space services and create global export opportunities. I look forward to seeing the Gateway deepen the collaboration that turns world-class talent into real breakthroughs.
A real difference to the world
Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director of Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus, UKRI-STFC, and Founder of the UK Space and Defence Gateway said:
We were delighted to welcome His Majesty to Harwell today to mark the opening of the UK Space and Defence Gateway, aligned with the sustainability principles of Astra Carta.
The Gateway is not only a physical hub with access to multidisciplinary cutting-edge facilities, it is a new way of working which brings together civil and defence space stakeholders across government, industry, academia and the investment community to enable a clear pathway between innovation and scale-up and to deliver on national priorities.
I look forward to working alongside our partners in the Gateway across the UK and internationally to help our businesses thrive whilst making a real difference to the world.
A sustainable future for the sector
Professor Michele Dougherty, Executive Chair, UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council said:
As a planetary scientist, the principles of the Astra Carta resonate deeply with me. I’m excited by the synergies and opportunities the UK Space and Defence Gateway will provide, including for UKRI Space, and look forward to seeing it harness expertise and ambition from across the space ecosystem to help secure a sustainable future for the sector.
A source of wonder
Dr Sarah Beardsley, Director of RAL Space said:
Welcoming His Majesty The King to our facility has been a real privilege. Pushing the boundaries of technology and testing satellites before launch means we can put innovative ideas into orbit to shape our future.
The Gateway, driven by the sustainability principles of the Astra Carta, underscores the importance of growing our space economy in a way that protects space and our planet as a source of wonder for future generations.
