Welcome
Welcome to our website!
Who are we?
We are a private and independent space agency in the UK, we are directly involved in aerospace manufacturing and design, space exploration and research, web services and communications, research into new technologies and carbon offsetting.
What we do
- Launch Vehicles
- Concept Design
- Space Robotics
- Thermal Control
- Mission Planning
- Space Tourism
- Launch Provider
- Engineering
- Subcomponents
- Life Support Systems
- Recovery Systems
- Human Habitats
- 3D Printing
- Avionics
- Research & Development
- Spacecraft Design & Build
- Marketing & PR
- Control Systems
- Space Exploration
- Environmental Monitoring
- Artificial Intelligence
- Aircraft Acquisition
- Aircraft Inspections
- Manufacturing
- Irradiation Testing
- High Altitude Ballooning
- Space Agriculture
- Start-up Support
What does UKCOA mean?
UK Communications, Carbon Offsetting and Aerospace.
The UK's first private space programme
The UK's government funded UK Space Agency (UKSA) is the countries official civil space programme. However, we are the UK's first real private space programme (Virgin Galactic is US owned, Surrey Satellite Technology solely manufactured and operated small satellites and is now owned wholly by Airbus and Project Juno was not successfully privately funded).
We are up against Orbex which has subsidiaries in Denmark and Germany, and Skyrora which sends most work to Ukraine to save money. Unlike the other companies, we are 100% British based and owned, and only employ staff based in the UK.
Why have a private space programme in the UK?
There are many benefits to having a private space programme in the UK, such as the increased competition and pressure from the private sector on the UK Space Agency, inevitably leading them to explore new projects and increase their investment in the space programme, the result of which will be the UK holding a stronger position in the space sector.
We bring alternative options and solutions to the public and hold both the government and UKSA to account on their projects and spending to ensure the taxpayer and all of the British manufacturers and businesses involved get the best deal possible.
The first launch from the UK into space
We are currently building what we hope to be not only the first British-built rocket to take off from a British launch site but also the first ever rocket launched into space from the UK. The simple three-stage liquid-propellant rocket uses liquid N20 and liquid ethanol as propellants and will be air launched vertically using our state of the art launch system.
We operate in full compliance with the UK's Outer Space Act (1986) and the Space Industry Act. Our rocket launches are always fully licensed, insured and subject to all the necessary health and saftey checks.
“We must commit ourselves to pursue and advocate the use of outer space, to support all those getting involved and ensure there be no hinderance to the progress that has to be made, for the final frontier awaits us.” - Shane Cole
Shane Cole (UKCOA Founder & CEO)