The UK space layer Today, UK drone operators rely largely on commercial infrastructure, and not necessarily UK infrastructure. Navigation is commonly provided
through GNSS services such as GPS or Galileo, often using receivers from international suppliers. Satellite communications are bought from whichever commercial operator can provide the necessary coverage, performance and price. “The reality is that much of
the UK drone sector depends on infrastructure provided by allies and commercial operators,” Copley said. “The biggest barrier isn't satellites. It's getting capability into service. In UAVTEK's case, where satellite communications are required, we use Starlink because it works and because the economics make sense.” UAVTEK is far from alone in
following the economics. Highly competitive pricing from American providers gives UK operators little immediate incentive to use a domestic alternative. The expansion of services such as Amazon Leo may further increase UK and global reliance on American space infrastructure. Viasat’s 2023 acquisition of Inmarsat gave it a substantial position in UK satellite connectivity. Its Velaris programme is a dedicated L-band satellite communications service for UAVs and advanced air mobility aircraft, intended to support BVLOS operations. Trials conducted with Thales and the European Space Agency have demonstrated some of the capabilities available.
“While the public was captivated
by the 5G drones at this year’s Winter Olympics, terrestrial networks are not always available and are not usable at higher altitudes,” Klooster said. “It is satellite-connected aircraft
with aviation-grade reliability and low SWaP terminals that are advancing the next frontier of air- borne innovation: safe and secure BVLOS operations.”
Emerging applications The aspiration to use drones for deliveries has followed the industry for years. Within cities, however, the reliability and cost advantages still tend to favour blokes with mopeds. The strongest cases may instead be found in critical transport, public safety and operations conducted in remote or poorly connected areas. “Fast, critical delivery options for the NHS, delivering rare blood or organs through poorly connected regions, are where we see a strong case,” explained Jeremy Howitt, future flight lead at Snowdonia Aerospace, an established testing facility for drones and other advanced aerospace technologies. “We’re also already seeing atypical
use for powerline or rail inspections, as well as maritime security and border surveillance. More and more, we’ll see this become run-of-the-mill as use cases become obvious and the cost- benefits add up.” At these edge locations, where
drones may offer the greatest utility, satellite connectivity is also most valuable. Percival similarly points to remote infrastructure inspection and firefighting as emerging applications.
“The art of the possible is
changing,” she said. “Space and drone industries and their under- lying technologies are evolving very fast now. “A priority of our consultation efforts is to hear from the technologists closest to that process to recognise where they understand the direction of these technologies.” The UK is therefore assembling
many of the components that future drone operations will need: experimental spectrum, satellite services, test infrastructure and a regulatory architecture for integrated BVLOS flight.
What it does not yet have is a single,
affordable and sovereign system ready to support operations at fleet scale. For the immediate future, operators will continue combining terrestrial networks, satellite services and allied navigation infrastructure according to the needs of each mission. The space layer is ready to play
a greater role. The harder task is making it affordable, certified and integrated enough to move drones from isolated demonstrations into everyday operation.
Autumn 2026 | Advance 35
Photo credit: Gorodenkoff/
stock.adobe.com
SPACE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
