Space agency increases jobs at satellite lab

The European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications employs more than 100 people in Harwell

More than 100 new jobs are set to be created at a space centre in Oxfordshire.

The European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) currently employs more than 100 people in Harwell.

The UK and European space agencies announced a plan during the Farnborough International Airshow to further focus on satellite telecommunications and their wider applications.

Carole Mundell, director of science at the European Space Agency, called it a "major growth area".

ECSAT is located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.

It was launched in 2015 to advance satellite-enabled telecommunications and accelerate the use of space technology in everyday life.

It also has teams working to tackle climate change, develop technologies for exploration, and pioneer advanced manufacturing techniques for future space missions.

The new plans aim to further develop activities around the in-orbit servicing of satellites, as well as their assembly and manufacture.

'Increasing ambition'

Speaking to Emma Barnett on the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme, Ms Mundell called the UK a "major player in the European landscape" when it came to space exploration.

She said she wanted to "expand the UK’s influence" and "really harness" the leadership of universities and industry, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), to ensure it was a world leader.

She added: "At the Harwell campus we currently have just over 100 staff there and we’re looking to double that by 2030, and what that means [is] we’re hoping that the UK industrial sector will also then respond in terms of increasing their ambition and their innovation."

UK Space Agency CEO Dr Paul Bate said: "Together with ESA, we believe there is vast potential to build on the success of the ECSAT facility in Harwell, to support even more businesses, accelerate the development of new technologies and take advantage of the UK’s wider strengths in science and innovation."

In March the agency announced it was opening four new bases across the UK including a new headquarters at Harwell.