Credible Optimism: What UK Space Needs Next

What does UK space look like after four and a half years at the head of its space agency?

Dr. Paul Bate joins SSPI Executive Director Tamara Bond-Williams for a wide-ranging conversation about what he can see now that he has stepped outside the UK Space Agency and into academia.

Paul reflects on the UK's growing role in European and international missions, the importance of relationships when geopolitical systems are under stress, and a possible new model for collaborative, digital-first space R&D.

He also explains why the sector needs credible optimism and distinguishes that discipline from hype, what a UK Space and Satellite Personality of the Year should champion, and why space sustainability requires deeper independent research into the orbital and atmospheric environment.

The conversation closes by asking what humans need to thrive there, and which ethical questions institutions must answer as human activity moves farther from Earth.