UK, Türkiye can be ‘much stronger’ through space cooperation: Agency official

The UK and Türkiye have numerous opportunities to strengthen their space capabilities through cooperation, a senior UK Space Agency official told Anadolu.

“There are many different areas in which we will be much stronger when we work together,” Alice Bunn, co-director of the UK Space Agency, said during the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Türkiye’s Mediterranean resort city of Antalya.

Bunn welcomed a new cooperation agreement signed Tuesday between the UK Space Agency and the Turkish Space Agency.

She said the two sides could expand joint work in science, research and development, and technology, as well as in developing regulations governing space missions and activities in orbit.

The agreement establishes a road map for developing that cooperation, according to Bunn.

The signing ceremony was also attended by British Ambassador to Türkiye Jennifer Elizabeth Anderson, whose presence Bunn said demonstrated the importance attached to the partnership.

“Science and technology are often used as instruments of cooperation between countries,” she said. “We are excited to see the next steps in our cooperation in science and technology.”

Space technology largely invisible in daily life

Bunn also emphasized the central role space-based systems play in modern society, despite often operating unnoticed in the background.

“All of our modern lives are absolutely dependent on space technologies,” she said.

“Most of the time, we are not even aware of it because space technologies are invisibly integrated into our daily lives. But we are talking about an extremely important field of technology that makes our modern way of life possible.”

Commenting on the congress, Bunn described its atmosphere as energetic and said she had participated in a session bringing together global space leaders.

She said the packed session produced an intense but exciting discussion about how countries and organizations could work together.

Organized by the International Astronautical Federation, the congress brings together representatives of space agencies, companies, universities and research institutions from around the world.