Written questions

Orbex: Satellites

Lords · Question HL291 · Tabled 19 May 2026 · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology · Official record

Answered 2 Jun 2026

Question

Asked by Lord Risby

To ask His Majesty's Government for what reason they withdrew funding to Orbex to develop a UK-based satellite delivery system.

Answer

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra, 2 Jun 2026

The UK did not withhold ESA funding from Orbex. The UK subscribed c.£162m to ESA launch programmes in November 2025 and allocated the maximum possible amount of funding to Orbex as per European Space Agency rules and selection criteria. To access further ...