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UK Space Agency to expand with four new bases

Getty Images The International Space Station in orbit over planet EarthGetty Images
The UK Space Agency recently announced a possible expedition by British astronauts to the International Space Station

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is opening four new bases across the UK including a new headquarters.

The main centre will be at Harwell Science Campus in Oxfordshire from June.

Regional bases will also open this year in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Leicester, while existing offices in London and Swindon will be retained.

UKSA said the "transformational" expansion would enhance links with the private sector and boost recruitment.

Getty Images Dr Paul BateGetty Images
UKSA chief executive Dr Paul Bate said the expansion was a "transformational moment"

Chief executive Dr Paul Bate said: "This will place the UK Space Agency at the heart of the space sector we serve, boosting growth.

"We have seen a significant rise in space organisations across the UK and it's crucial we nurture their skills and expertise."

The new premises at William Morgan House in Cardiff and Space Park Leicester will open in April, with the office at Queen Elizabeth House in Edinburgh following in the summer.

UK Space Agency Quad 2, HarwellUK Space Agency
The agency's new headquarters in Oxfordshire will open in June

Space Minister Andrew Griffith said more than 100 organisations were already based at Harwell's Space Cluster, making it the ideal location for the new headquarters.

He said the expansion would "strengthen the UK's science superpower ambitions".

The UK space sector is worth more than £17.5bn per year and employs more than 45,000 people, according to UKSA.

The agency has recently announced plans to fly a team of British astronauts on a commercially sponsored mission, potentially to the International Space Station.

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