Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Space
  • /
  • Lockheed Martin accelerates UK space strategy

Space

Lockheed Martin accelerates UK space strategy

Lockheed Martin is looking for North East businesses and skills organisations to support its plans to develop a bold new future for the UK's space sector.

Above: Lockheed Martin's satellites operate like smartphones in the sky.
Courtesy Lockheed Martin

Senior executives from the company are in Newcastle today to explore options for its space business, which could potentially include manufacturing as well as research and development based in the North East.

Advertisement
DSEI 2025

Nik Smith, Lockheed Martin's UK and Europe regional director for Space, said that with favourable market conditions and the Government's ambition to grow the sector, the company is exploring options for a new facility in the North East which could create up to 2,300 jobs. It would play a critical role in supporting the Government's Levelling Up agenda and accelerate the UK's National and Defence Space Strategies by increasing the space and security capabilities available to government, commercial customers and the export market. Such a facility would represent an investment of over £50 million.

"We are committed to making the UK one of the most prosperous and capable space sectors in the world. With its strong manufacturing heritage, highly-skilled workforce and reputation for quality, we've identified North East England as a strong contender for our future operations, potentially creating new high-technology engineering and manufacturing jobs for the region," Smith said.

Lockheed Martin is already active in the UK's space sector. It is currently in partnership with the UK Space Agency and SaxaVord Space Centre in the Shetlands, to conduct northern Europe's first vertical satellite launch. This is expected to create hundreds of jobs and inject millions of pounds into the Shetland Islands economy.

The company is also a founding member of the UK's new national space team, Athena, which includes Serco, Inmarsat and CGI UK, who each are world leaders in providing technology and services across defence, space, communications and information technology to governments, businesses, and other organisations. Athena is committed to using its expertise and global presence to grow the UK's space sector.

Advertisement
Gulfstream RT

Paul Livingston, the company's UK chief executive, said: "With operations in the UK for over 80 years, Lockheed Martin has a proud track record of supporting the UK economy and today has people based at 23 locations.

"From postal sorting technology to helping build the UK's first commercial spaceport, our innovations and partnerships help solve some of the UK's most complex challenges. We invest on average £1.8 billion in the UK each year. Increasing our investments is a key tenant of our global growth strategy and will enable us to partner with the government as it looks to achieve its vision of making the UK one of the most attractive and innovative space sectors in the world."

Globally, Lockheed Martin is one of the world's biggest space businesses. It has been involved in all 22 NASA missions to Mars and has partnered with the agency to explore every planet in our solar system. Today the company is driving innovations to help its customers do even more in orbit.

This includes designing smarter satellites that operate like smartphones in the sky, with apps that can be updated in orbit so they can adapt as mission needs on the ground change and developing the first ever free flying commercial space station, known as Starlab, in partnership with Nanoracks and Voyager Space.
 

Advertisement
Cranfield University
Pulsar Fusion set to conduct UK

Space

Pulsar Fusion set to conduct UK's first fusion space test

10 July 2025

Bletchley-based company Pulsar Fusion is set to become the first British company to test fusion propulsion hardware in space, with the technology having the potential to halve journey times to Mars and beyond.

ALL.SPACE unveils Hydra MAX

Defence Space

ALL.SPACE unveils Hydra MAX

10 July 2025

ALL.SPACE has revealed a major advancement in mobile satellite communications with the successful demonstration of Hydra MAX - the first network independent terminal of its kind to deliver ultra wideband communications to multiple satellites simultaneously.

Neo Space acquires UP42 from Airbus Defence and Space

Space

Neo Space acquires UP42 from Airbus Defence and Space

10 July 2025

Saudi Arabia's Neo Space Group (NSG) announced today that the company has completed its previously announced acquisition of UP42 GmbH, the Earth Observation (EO) platform previously owned by Airbus Defence and Space.

GKN Aerospace and ArianeGroup sign new Ariane 6 contract

Space

GKN Aerospace and ArianeGroup sign new Ariane 6 contract

9 July 2025

GKN Aerospace and ArianeGroup have signed a new Frame Contract for the operational phase of Ariane 6, securing Europe’s access to space for years to come and building on a partnership spanning over five decades.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Orbex pre-selected for European Launcher Challenge

Space

Orbex pre-selected for European Launcher Challenge

8 July 2025

Orbex, the UK-based orbital launch services company, has been pre-selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to take part in its prestigious European Launcher Challenge (ELC).

UK achieves silver at the International Youth Rocketry Championships

Space Events

UK achieves silver at the International Youth Rocketry Championships

7 July 2025

A team of four students from Teignmouth Community School in Devon came second in the International Youth Rocketry Championships, narrowly missing pole position in a nail-biting final.

Advertisement
ODU RT