UK Space Agency Partners with EISCAT International Space Observatory

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has signed an agreement to join EISCAT, the international space observatory. Additionally, it has announced £5.5 million financial backing for Arctic research.

EISCAT operates four radar sites across Norway, Sweden, and Finland, studying the ionosphere, the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere that forms the boundary with outer space. The ionosphere is also the altitude at which many communication and navigation satellites are located, and changes to it can impact their lifespan and performance.

As part of the funding package, the UKSA will become an associate member of the European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) with a £100,000 agreement. This membership will grant the UKSA access to EISCAT's ionosphere sensing and observation capabilities.

An additional £5 million will be invested in UK scientific institutions, including the National Oceanographic Centre and the UK Hydrographic Organisation. This investment aims to enhance understanding of Arctic weather and oceans as part of a project led by the Met Office.

Furthermore, £535,000 will be allocated to joint research projects with Greenland, and an additional £340,000 will be invested in UK-Iceland bursaries to establish long-term researcher-to-researcher links on polar issues. Both of these programs will be led by the British Antarctic Survey.

The UK government emphasized the country's close relationship with Scandinavia, not only in terms of science and the environment but also in energy security and trade. Norway, for instance, supplies around a third of the UK's gas and has strong ties with the UK, including a Memorandum of Understanding on science and a Free Trade Agreement, according to Science Minister Andrew Griffith.

"Our new UKSA affiliation to EISCAT is further evidence of the UK's leadership on space sustainability and what we can achieve by working closely with our partners," said Griffith. "It will provide valuable insights about the ionosphere, helping us ensure the safety of UK satellites, which is crucial for sustaining our communications, navigation, and more.

"Through partnerships like this, as well as the National Space Strategy and our re-entry into the Copernicus Earth Observation program, we are making long-term decisions to build one of the most attractive and innovative space economies in the world," Griffith added.

The Science Minister made the announcement during the Arctic Frontiers Conference, where he unveiled the package of UK-funded polar science programs.

The EISCAT UHF system, designed as a tristatic radar, consists of three facilities located in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. In Norway, there are two EISCAT facilities operating in UHF and VHF frequencies. Recently, the remote sites in Finland and Sweden were converted to the VHF frequency. The Heating facility is also situated in Norway, according to the scientific association.

Formed in 1976, EISCAT's members include China, France, Finland, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Source: EISCAT/Johan Svensson - EISCAT3D Skiboten, Norway

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