The Westcott Space Hub has officially opened in Buckinghamshire, marking a major boost for the UK space sector. The £20 million facility, supported by £5.8 million from the UK Space Agency and £15 million in private sector match funding, spans 62,000 square feet and provides state-of-the-art infrastructure for space businesses. It aims to support innovation, research, and development while creating up to 300 jobs, including around 100 direct roles and 200 positions in the wider supply chain. 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.
Located at Westcott Venture Park, a site with over 50 years of heritage in rocket engine testing, the Hub fills a critical gap in research and development infrastructure in Buckinghamshire. It combines flexible commercial spaces, laboratories, workshops, training facilities, and unique testing capabilities, including a vacuum chamber for electric propulsion engines—the only facility of its kind in the UK and one of the largest globally. The Hub’s facilities aim to foster collaboration between small and medium-sized enterprises, major industry players, academia, and other stakeholders within the local space ecosystem.
The Hub includes 42,000 square feet of commercial space with offices, labs, and workshops, 10,000 square feet of shared facilities for mechanical and propulsion testing, and a 10,000-square-foot training centre with classrooms, workshops, and a 150-seat auditorium. These facilities provide businesses with access to assembly, integration, and testing infrastructure that was previously unavailable in the UK. URA Thrusters, which develops sustainable spacecraft propulsion solutions, has already expanded into the Hub and plans to launch two pioneering propulsion systems in 2027 from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland.
The Hub also features the Skylark Café and Conference Facility to encourage networking, knowledge sharing, and strategic partnerships within the UK space sector. The facility is expected to attract cutting-edge businesses and strengthen Buckinghamshire’s long-standing heritage in propulsion and aerospace innovation. The project reflects strong public-private collaboration, leveraging UK Space Agency funding and private investment to stimulate innovation, support high-skilled jobs, and ensure that UK space technologies are designed, built, and tested domestically.
Overall, the Westcott Space Hub strengthens the UK’s position in global space innovation by combining world-class testing infrastructure, business support, training facilities, and collaborative spaces. It exemplifies how strategic investment in infrastructure can catalyse technological advancement, attract private funding, create high-skilled employment, and foster sustainable growth in the national space economy.
