LONDON, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Britain will step up its space sector development by investing in new facilities for satellite and space propulsion, according to a government statement released on Tuesday.
Some 99 million pounds will be invested to create the National Satellite Testing Facility (NSTF) on the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, alongside a 4 million-pound investment for the new National Space Propulsion Facility to develop and test space engines at Wescott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire.
Due to open in early 2020, the new NSTF will be a world-class facility for the assembly, integration and testing of space instruments and satellites, positioning Britain to capitalize on the estimated 3,500 to 10,000 satellites that are due to be launched by 2025, according to the government.
It will also facilitate the build of bigger and more technologically advanced satellites and remove the need for British companies to use test facilities abroad.
As for the NSPF, it will allow companies and academia to test and develop space propulsion engines, alongside a new facility for Reaction Engines where the revolutionary SABRE air-breathing rocket engine will also be tested and built.
"Located in a cluster known for research excellence, these new facilities will help UK companies be more competitive in the global market for space technology and support our ambition to capture 10 percent of the global space market by 2030," said Jo Johnson, Britain's Universities and Science Minister.
