UK aeronautical companies are being prevented from bidding for contracts with the European Space Agency because of Brexit uncertainty. The government has said it will not allow any new entrants to take part in ESA contracts, which have been awarded since 2004. They'd like to have an understanding of what the world is going to look like because they'll be making investments that have a 10 to 20 year lifespan. This has led to British companies losing out, and others having to specify plans to relocate their operations following Brexit. Representatives of the space industry, worth around £14bn ($18.6bn) to the UK economy, outlined their concerns to a parliamentary inquiry on the issue.
UK aeronautical companies are being prevented from bidding for contracts with the European Space Agency because of Brexit uncertainty. The government has said it will not allow any new entrants to take part in ESA contracts, which have been awarded since 2004. This has led to British companies losing out, and others having to specify plans to relocate their operations following Brexit. Representatives of the space industry, worth around £14bn ($18.6bn) to the UK economy, outlined their concerns to a parliamentary inquiry on the issue.