The £20m Westcott Space Hub has officially opened in Buckinghamshire. It offers cutting-edge facilities for space businesses and is expected to create up to 300 jobs.
The Hub is led by URA Thrusters in partnership with Patrizia Hanover Property Unit Trust, Skyports Drone Services, Westcott Shared Facilities Ltd, and Buckinghamshire Council. It provides testing facilities, training spaces, and commercial workspaces for the UK space sector.
World-Class Facilities for Space Development
Located at Westcott Venture Park, a site with over 50 years of rocket engine testing heritage, the Hub fills a key gap in research and development infrastructure.
It features:
- 42,000 sq ft of flexible commercial space, including offices, labs, and workshops, with 33% pre-let.
- A 10,000 sq ft training facility with a 150-seat auditorium, 15 classrooms, and a fully equipped workshop.
- 10,000 sq ft of shared facilities, including a clean room, mechanical and environmental testing, and propulsion testing. The Hub also has a vacuum chamber for electric propulsion engines, the only one of its kind in the UK and among the largest globally.
Alberto Garbayo, CEO of URA Thrusters, said the Hub allows full integration, production, and in-vacuum testing for both chemical and electric thrusters, making it one of the few facilities worldwide with this capability.
Creating Jobs and Boosting Investment
The project started in December 2023 with £15m in match funding, showing strong private sector confidence.
The Hub is expected to generate 100 direct jobs and 200 more in the supply chain. Space Minister Liz Lloyd highlighted that the investment creates skilled roles, attracts private funding, and ensures the next generation of space technology is developed in the UK.
Supporting the UK Space Community
URA Thrusters has expanded into one of the Hub’s main buildings. This allows other companies to access world-class testing facilities without relocating abroad.
Westcott Venture Park already hosts a growing cluster of companies working on propulsion, robotics, autonomous systems, and communications. It is also home to the National Space Propulsion Test Facility, supported by the UK Space Agency.
The UK Space Agency’s Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) has awarded £45.6m to 13 projects since 2023. Combined with £43.8m in match funding, the total investment reaches £89.6m. SCIF funding has also helped organisations secure venture capital, private equity, and over £50m in additional investment.
The Westcott Space Hub strengthens the UK’s space innovation ecosystem, supports collaboration, and positions the country as a global leader in space technology.
