Why Leicester is reaching for the stars

When you think of space exploration, you probably think of NASA, Cape Canaveral, Space X, the International Space Station, and the James Web Telescope. Leicester may not be somewhere that immediately spring to mind.

However, the midlands city known for Diwali celebrations, Richard III and Gary Lineker, amongst other things, is at one of the most prominent centres for space technology development in Europe.

Leicester’s involvement in space research is long-lived. It was one of the founding locations for the European Space Agency’s science programme and Leicester scientists and engineers were fundamental in the development of space missions, including in the 1980s when instruments built in Leicester were onboard the Giotto spacecraft which gathered data on Halley’s Comet.

It is also home to the National Space Centre, a world-class space science museum and education centre. The Centre has close links with the UK Space Agency and helps to promote the UK’s role in space technology, space missions and the commercial side of space.

The University of Leicester is at the forefront of space development. Its Space Research Centre (SRC) is internationally renowned for its work in space science, technology and exploration. Its scientists and engineers have designed and built instruments that have flown on various spacecraft, such as the Ptolemy instrument, which was used on the Rosetta mission to land a probe on the comet and analyse the composition the surface.

The University is one of the founders of the Leicester Space Park, which aims to bring together businesses from all parts of the space sector, such as satellite engineering, communications, data analytics, and space exploration. The Park is supported by the UK Space Agency, which has set ambitious targets for growth in this sector, predicting that it is set to be worth a £40 billion industry by 2030.

It's not just the university and academics that are key to Leicester’s thriving space economy. Many commercial companies, such as Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd which collaborates closely with the university, OneWeb which works on satellite constellations for global communications, and Airbus Defence and Space, as well as many smaller companies.

Leicester College is now a fundamental part of training the engineers of the future who will work in these exciting and key industries.  Partnering with the University of Leicester, the college is offering exciting technical Higher National Certificates in Space Technologies or Aeronautical Engineering, and a Higher National Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering. These are available to study part or full-time and are Higher Technical Qualifications, which are qualifications that employers have helped to develop, so you can be sure that you’ll get the skills and training you need to succeed at work.

Students starting with the college from September 2025 will be able to study in a brand-new building with state-of-the-art facilities. Work is currently ongoing to build the new Aeronautical and Space Technology Training Centre at the Abbey Park Campus.