Some of the leading names in the UK and Europe’s space sector have attended a special University of South Wales (USW) event to highlight the vital impact it has on our lives and future.
The Step Out Into Space event saw hundreds of attendees of all ages hear from senior figures in the Europe’s space industry.
These included Annelies Look, Deputy CEO and Chief Delivery Officer of the UK Space Agency (UKSA); Dr David Parker of the European Space Agency (ESA), who was ESA Space Exploration Director and UKSA Chief Executive; and Flt Lt Jason Greenwood of UK Space Command.
The event also heard from USW’s Professor Damian Bailey, a member of the Human Spaceflight and Exploration Science Advisory Committee at ESA, as well as a member of the Space Exploration Advisory Committees for the UK and Swedish Space Agencies.
Paul Jones, the Senior Strategy Manager for Space at the Welsh Government, provided a broad overview of space activities across Wales. Additionally, Jill Hutchinson and Simon Wheeler from Thales Alenia Space (TAS), Nick Crew from Airbus Defence and Space, and Neil Monteiro from Space Forge, offered an industrial perspective on space and its opportunities.
Co-organised by Dr Leshan Uggalla, a senior lecturer at USW, and Heather Francis, Senior Student recruitment officer, the event was designed to show how vital the sector is to the current economy, and also to future prosperity and jobs.
“At USW we are taking the lead in creating the next generation of the space workforce here in Wales, and showing that the space industry isn’t just about the popular and traditional things such as rockets and space suits,” Dr Uggalla said.
“We have launched several initiatives, such as hosting the very first National Space Academy’s Space to Learn five-day residential space camp here in Pontypridd earlier this year, in collaboration with UKSA and National Space Academy (NSA).
“We also host a thriving Rocketry Society at the University, which has seen students take part in national competitions for rocket building, and win awards for their outreach activity to promote STEM and the work on space engineering development in Wales.
“This latest initiative, Step Out Into Space, is part of the celebration of UN World Space Week, which involved more than 100 countries across the globe.”
Professor Martin Steggall, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at USW, added:
“Space is an integral part of our lives and is increasingly becoming a key part of our nation’s critical infrastructure.
“Satellite-based services now contribute one-fifth of the UK’s GDP, equivalent to £370 billion per year, and the global space economy is projected to grow to £1.7 trillion by 2035.
“Wales Space Strategy – Wales: A Sustainable Space Nation – released in 2018, highlights sustainability, which can take many forms. For us at USW, the skills we teach and support as are a key pillar of sustainability and will be the bedrock for the future development of groundbreaking tech which will support the development of the space industry.”
Annelies Look said:
“It’s really important to be at this event today. The space sector is growing at four times the rate of any other sector in the UK.
“We really need to develop the skills that match that, so it’s really important that we know what the breadth of the space sector is so we can encourage people to take up a career in space.”
Flt Lt Jason Greenwood said:
“Space is something that we all depend on, everything from contactless card payments, to making sure the satnav works and making sure that power stations keep the lights on and make sure that people can get to where they want to be. Space is critical to what we do.
“I hope the audience were entertained by the great line-up of speakers, and the range of presenters from so many different areas at this worthwhile event.”
