[Satellite TODAY 05-16-13] David Willetts, U.K. Minister for Universities and Science, and Jean-Jacques Dordain, European Space Agency’s director general have unveiled the agency’s first U.K. facility. The European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT), located at the Harwell Oxford campus, supports activities related to telecommunications, climate change, technology, science and integrated applications – the combined use of different space and terrestrial technologies, data and infrastructures to create new everyday applications.

   “The U.K. space industry is increasingly important to growth, contributing over 9 billion pounds to the economy every year and supporting thousands of highly skilled jobs. ESA’s decision to locate its high-tech facility in this country shows that we are creating the right environment for innovation and cutting-edge research,” Willetts said.
 
    Despite the current economic climate, the U.K. space industry has been identified as a growth sector. With 70 percent of its output being exported it is a major player on the global stage. ECSAT is designed to play a key role in the U.K. space domain.