Ukraine and the United Kingdom have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in the space sector. The British government announced this .
The document was signed at the Ukrainian Embassy in London by the Executive Director of the UK Space Agency, Paul Bate, and the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom, Valeriy Zaluzhny. This is the first agreement concluded between the British Space Agency and the State Space Agency of Ukraine.
“It demonstrates the UK’s desire to deepen cooperation with Ukraine in the space sector and supports the ambitions set out in the Ukraine-UK 100-year partnership agreed in January 2025,” the British government stressed.
The memorandum is expected to contribute to expanding interaction between Ukrainian and British space structures, strengthening the exchange of information and professional experience, as well as launching new initiatives in areas of common interest in civil and commercial space.
In addition, this week the UK Space Agency will transfer 100 thousand euros to support a joint program of the European Space Agency and the State Space Agency of Ukraine. In London, they believe that this will help strengthen the Ukrainian space sector.
“The first initiative is the project “Agricultural and Environmental Monitoring Services for Ukraine and the Black Sea Region (SEN4STATUkr)”, aimed at improving the practices of maintaining agricultural statistics using remote sensing data of the Earth,” the government noted.
Valery Zaluzhny called the signed memorandum “historic” and stated that it opens a new stage of interaction between the space agencies of the two states. According to him, the document provides for the exchange of information and experience, support for civil and commercial activities in space, as well as the implementation of specific joint projects.
“The memorandum deals with the exchange of information and experience, support for civil and commercial activities in space, as well as specific projects between our space agencies,” the ambassador emphasized.
Separately, he noted that the new agreement will promote the development of innovations, open up additional commercial opportunities, and help apply space technologies in the interests of Ukrainian citizens.
Back in January 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the concept of a nationwide targeted scientific and technical space program of Ukraine for 2021–2025. It envisaged the creation of up to two thousand new jobs in the industry, as well as an increase in the number of scientific and technical specialists in the space sector.
