A new space testing centre is due for imminent completion at Westcott Venture Park.
The National Space Propulsion Test Facility (NSPTF) is let by park owner Patrizia Hanover Property Unit Trust, to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on behalf of the UK Space Agency on a 15-year lease.
The centre will allow innovation in propulsion technology and is designed to offer companies more affordable test facilities than using international rivals. The Government has supported it with £4 million funding to help new space technology firms.
Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: “The UK’s space industry is booming as we invest in our brightest space scientists, the facilities they work in and the technologies they are creating.
“Backed by a £4m Government investment, this pioneering UK-based facility will elevate our most ambitious space businesses, enabling them to undertake complex spacecraft engine testing, while boosting the local economy by creating highly skilled jobs.”
Rod Mordey, director of Patrizia, said: “This is yet another leap forward for the development of Westcott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire as a centre of excellence in the space propulsion and associated high-tech industries.
“Future investment will ensure Westcott’s place at the heart of the UK space industry. Over the next 10 years, Westcott will become the UK centre for the next generation of propulsion systems and small satellite manufacture.”
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