The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has launched a new Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) landing page. It will be a central hub for information, resources, and updates on the UK’s navigation initiatives. The move follows increased national investment in navigation programmes agreed at the European Space Agency (ESA) Ministerial Council 2025.
Supporting UK Navigation Capabilities
The new PNT page explains how the UK Space Agency supports PNT capabilities through a combination of ESA navigation programmes and national initiatives. These efforts align with the government’s broader PNT framework. Overall, they are designed to support the work of the National PNT Office.
Building Resilience as the ISS Nears Retirement
The landing page also sets the broader policy context for navigation resilience. In October 2023, the government published the Framework for Greater PNT Resilience. This document outlines priorities for strengthening PNT across national infrastructure and the wider economy. Following the framework’s release, the National PNT Office was established within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to lead coordination efforts.
Why PNT Matters
PNT is considered a matter of strategic national importance for the UK. It underpins critical sectors such as defence, transport, communications, and finance. The National Risk Register 2025 warns that even brief disruptions to PNT services pose a major threat to national resilience. Studies cited on the page estimate that a seven-day GNSS outage could cost the UK economy more than £7 billion.
Investing in Innovation and National Autonomy
To address these risks, the UK is investing in innovation and collaboration to reduce reliance on external navigation systems and strengthen national autonomy. The page highlights support for a wide range of PNT technologies, including satellite navigation, terrestrial signals, sensor fusion, quantum navigation, and AI-enabled systems.
Funding Opportunities for Industry and Research
The landing page also details current funding opportunities available through ESA programmes such as NavISP and FutureNav. These initiatives support UK industry and researchers working on next-generation PNT technologies, covering early-stage research, commercially focused projects, and national strategic priorities.
SPARK Report Highlights Future Direction
Alongside the launch of the page, the UK Space Agency and the National PNT Office have published the SPARK report, which provides an up-to-date overview of innovation, strategy, and collaboration shaping the future of navigation. The report reinforces the UK’s commitment to developing secure and sustainable navigation solutions in an increasingly complex global environment.
Published by Space Enthusiast
An amateur rocket enthusiast with a keen interest in all space-related activity. Looking forward to the day when the UK starts launching rockets into space and I’m able to watch launches (from a safe distance of course).