UK announces £3m investment in satellite to help better prepare for natural disasters

The UK has joined Portugal and Spain in signing up for the Atlantic Constellation project.

The UK is funding a new satellite so scientists can monitor climate change and natural disasters.

The nation has agreed to join Portugal and Spain in what has been dubbed the Atlantic Constellation project and the satellite will be built in the UK as well.

The UK Space Agency has announced £3 million of funding for the satellite with additional money coming from Open Cosmos of the Harwell Space Campus based in Oxfordshire, England.

It promises to be a highly valuable source of information that can help better prepare for environmental emergencies.

Andrew Griffith, minister in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “Earth observation will play an absolutely vital role in tackling global challenges like climate change and disaster relief, providing the data we need at speed, while supporting key UK industries like agriculture and energy.

“By working with Open Cosmos on a new satellite and supporting our Atlantic partners, Spain and Portugal, we can harness space tech for our shared goals, while creating new skills opportunities and jobs for the future to grow the UK economy.”