Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Space
  • /
  • Aerospace company bids to become ‘super’ Nova in UK-Australia joint space race

Space

Aerospace company bids to become ‘super’ Nova in UK-Australia joint space race

The recently proposed UK-Australia ‘Space Bridge’ agreement is expected to unlock greater collaboration between governments, regulators and industry, signalling opportunities for Australian – UK firm, Nova.


Courtesy Nova

 
The agreement, announced at the UK Space Conference last month (September) is set to further the ambitions of the Australian and UK space agencies laying the foundations for negotiations around space-related business opportunities under potential UK-Australia trading arrangements.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025

 
Dr Graham Turnock, CEO of the UK Space Agency said: “The UK’s space heritage has strong links to Australia, with the first British rockets lifting off from Woomera in the 1950s, and we are committed to strengthening our friendship and partnership.”
 
“A Space Bridge agreement will bring significant benefits to both our thriving space industries, facilitating new trade and investment opportunities and the exchange of knowledge and ideas.”
 
Joint work is already ongoing between the UK and Australia in space sector development, with the launch last year of the Surrey Satellite NovaSAR, which uses radar to view the Earth through cloud cover. The satellite will share 10% of its data with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia.
 
Dr Megan Clark AC, Head of the Australian Space Agency said: “This latest agreement builds on a number of recent international agreements that are positioning Australia to play an increasingly important role in the global space industry.”
Advertisement
Teledyne

 
“The Space Bridge will open up new opportunities for Australian space businesses to access the global space sector through future trade agreements. This is an important step in the Agency’s goal to transform and grow the Australian space industry.”
 
As a key solutions and services provider to the space sector in both Australia and the United Kingdom, Nova has declared its keen interest and strong support for this relationship and has identified the ‘Space Bridge’ as a critical mechanism to share its capabilities across both countries.
 
Stephen Camporeale, CEO at Nova Europe said: “We are looking forward to sharing our capabilities in aerospace test as well as space and safety standardisation with our Australian business. And, to presenting Nova’s capabilities in autonomous mining, geospatial data processing, small smart satellites and southern hemisphere satellite ground stations.”
 
“The Space Bridge will provide a strong platform to showcase these unique capabilities.”


 

Advertisement
General Atomics LB
UK Moonlight team expands

Space Events

UK Moonlight team expands

18 July 2025

Viasat, SSTL and MDA Space have announced they are working together to develop designs and proposals for a lunar orbiting communications satellite system around the Moon, called Moonlight.

MDA Space UK to prime ESA and UKSA regenerative 5G D2D comms from LEO

Space

MDA Space UK to prime ESA and UKSA regenerative 5G D2D comms from LEO

16 July 2025

MDA Space Ltd today announced that it will prime SkyPhi, a new mission funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency (UKSA) that will enable regenerative 5G direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications from Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

University of Surrey launches Space Institute

Space

University of Surrey launches Space Institute

16 July 2025

With the UK's £19 billion space economy surging, government and industry urgently need faster research, innovation and skilled talent – yet more than half of space organisations report critical shortages, a challenge now being tackled by the newly launched Surrey Space Institute at the University of Surrey.

Pioneering programme to develop horizontal space launch

Space

Pioneering programme to develop horizontal space launch

15 July 2025

Ahead of the UK Space Conference (Manchester, 16th-17th July 2025), Frazer-Nash has announced it is leading a new research programme, known as INVICTUS, to develop a comprehensive concept design for a vehicle and its integrated systems, with the goal of building and flying a Mach 5-capable aircraft at the edge of space by early 2031.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025
Celestia UK starts building world’s first Ka-band multi-beam gateway

Space Events

Celestia UK starts building world’s first Ka-band multi-beam gateway

15 July 2025

Celestia UK is announcing at the UK Space Conference 2025 (Manchester, 16th-17th July 2025) that it has commenced the preproduction stage of a new generation of ground station gateway.

Bright Ascension launches strategic plan with new leadership team

Space

Bright Ascension launches strategic plan with new leadership team

14 July 2025

Bright Ascension Ltd has announced the appointment of a new CEO and the launch of its five-year strategic plan.

Advertisement
Gulfstream RT