The UK Space Agency will be absorbed into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology by April 2026, with the agency name retained and staffing drawn from both organisations. The government states the merger aims to cut duplication, reduce bureaucracy, increase public accountability, and ensure decisions have clear ministerial oversight. UKSA CEO Dr Paul Bate welcomed the consolidation as a way to create a single unit linking strategy, policy and delivery to speed national space goals. Industry voices warned that dissolving the agency risks undoing over a decade of progress and could cause space priorities to be deprioritised within a larger department. Observers noted UKSA's prior subordination to DSIT/BEIS and regulatory limits tied to the Civil Aviation Authority, highlighting existing dependencies on broader government structures.
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is set to join the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in an effort to "cut red tape" and, presumably, save some cash. According to the UK government, the move is all about "cutting duplication, reducing bureaucracy, and putting public accountability at the heart of decision-making." It will also "ensure decisions are made with clear ministerial oversight." DSIT will absorb UKSA by April 2026. The name will be retained, although staffing will come from both agencies.
"The closure of the UK Space Agency as an independent body is deeply concerning for the UK space sector. While the government positions this as a cost-saving and efficiency measure, the reality is that dissolving the agency risks undoing more than a decade of hard-won progress. Folding this into a wider department may bring ministerial oversight, but it also risks space being lost among competing agendas."
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