The UK Space Agency has said that new funding means that scientists and engineers in Britain will play a role in major global missions to the Moon, Mars and Venus.

The Space Science and Exploration Bilateral Programme, which is pledging £7.4 million in funding, will help Royal Holloway develop software for the Indian Space Agency (ISRO) Chandrayaan-2 orbiter to detect ice under the surface of the lunar south pole.

Another project will see the University of Leicester lead on a raman spectroscopy instrument for iSpace’s commercial rover and lander missions investigating water ice on the Moon, helping the UK to understand whether this is a resource that could be used for longer term lunar exploration.

The Agency said that other projects to receive a share of funding include the Open University and universities of Sussex, Aberdeen and Cambridge teaming up with NASA, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

“From exploring water on Mars and the possibility of sustained human activity on the red planet, to how galaxies evolved over time, our more than £7 million investment is pushing the boundaries of space discovery and putting the UK at the heart of some of the most important global space missions," said Andrew Griffith MP, minister for space at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. “With top UK universities from Sussex to Aberdeen leading these groundbreaking endeavours, our country is at the heart of exploring beyond our planet, working with partners in Japan, India, North America and around the world, and growing our economies.”

The announcement coincides with the Global Space and Technology Convention (GSTC), taking place in Singapore this week to showcase the rapidly growing sector in Asia and opportunities for international collaboration.

“These projects present an opportunity for UK science to make crucial contributions to ground-breaking global missions that will deepen our understanding of the Moon and our neighbouring planets," said Dr Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency. “This funding, which builds on previous early-stage awards, will help catalyse international investment into the UK space sector and highlights the value we place on sharing knowledge and expertise with our counterparts overseas to break the boundaries of space exploration.

“The Global Space and Technology Convention in Singapore is the ideal setting to share this news and showcase the benefits of expanding our work with global partners.”

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