In-Orbit

Why does America make space feel like a national ambition, while Britain’s achievements can struggle to attract attention?In this Outer Orbit bonus episode, Dallas Campbell speaks with Tom Adeyoola, Executive Chair of Innovate UK, about the cultural and financial differences shaping the UK space industry and its US counterpart. Tom argues that Britain needs to identify where it can create value in the emerging space economy, then explain that opportunity in language people can understand.Dallas and Tom discuss the tension between selling a vision and waiting until an idea is proven, the UK’s venture capital development, and why emerging technologies may need investors prepared to think over ten years. For founders, investors and space communicators, this short conversation offers a clear starting point: connect technical ability with a convincing story and the backing to pursue it.(00:00) - Welcome to Outer Orbit (01:11) - Finding the UK’s Place in the Space Economy (02:06) - Why Space Needs a Better Story (03:31) - Selling the Vision Before the Proof (04:50) - Building a Culture of Risk and Reward (05:45) - The UK’s Changing Investment Culture (06:46) - Patient Capital and Ten-Year Horizons (07:32) - Bringing the Swagger Tom Adeyoola: Tom Adeyoola is Executive Chair of Innovate UK and an entrepreneur with more than 25 years in the startup sector. He founded fashion technology business Metail, raising £25 million and growing it to exit, and supported Elvie from inception to Series B as a non-executive director. He co-founded Extend Ventures and co-authored the Start-Up, Scale-Up review. His experience in building businesses and investment policy informs the episode's discussion of growth capital and international competition.In-Orbit is brought to you by the Satellite Applications Catapult. Subscribe and follow us on social media to stay in-orbit.Satellite Applications Catapult: LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Website Produced by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

Why does Britain produce promising ideas yet struggle to build the global companies that could grow from them?In the opening episode of In-Orbit's sixth season, Dallas Campbell brings together Tom Adeyoola, Executive Chair of Innovate UK, John Abbott, CEO of the Satellite Applications Catapult, and Sue Daley OBE, Director of Technology and Innovation at techUK. They examine how UK innovation can become lasting economic value, with support that follows companies beyond individual projects and pilots.The discussion covers patient capital, international growth and the commercial skills needed to turn research into products customers buy. Government procurement is especially timely: the UK Space Strategy, announced in September with £7.8 billion of investment through 2030, commits to a coordinated approach to buying space technology. From university research and health datasets to satellite propulsion, in-orbit manufacturing and proposed orbital data centres, the guests consider where Britain has strengths worth backing. For founders, investors and policymakers, this first part of a two-part conversation offers practical ways to help ambitious companies grow while keeping skills, manufacturing and economic value in the UK.(00:00) - Welcome to In-Orbit (04:22) - From Funding Projects to Supporting Companies (08:28) - Commercialisation and Thinking Globally (12:11) - Ambition, Investment and Founder Stories (15:45) - Government as an Anchor Customer (19:47) - Growth Capital and UK Research Strengths (23:46) - Telling the UK's Technology Success Stories (27:53) - Helping UK Space Companies Scale (31:44) - Manufacturing and Data Centres in Orbit (35:56) - Space, Growth and National Resilience (39:45) - Pension Investment and Long-Term Support (42:12) - Backing Britain's Most Ambitious Companies Tom Adeyoola: Tom Adeyoola is Executive Chair of Innovate UK and an entrepreneur with more than 25 years in the startup sector. He founded fashion technology business Metail, raising £25 million and growing it to exit, and supported Elvie from inception to Series B as a non-executive director. He co-founded Extend Ventures and co-authored the Start-Up, Scale-Up review. His experience in building businesses and investment policy informs the episode's discussion of growth capital and international competition.John Abbott: John Abbott is CEO of the Satellite Applications Catapult. His background covers geospatial technology, digital services and support for early-stage businesses. Before joining the Catapult, he was Chief Digital Officer at Saudi Arabia's Real Estate Registry and previously led digital, data and technology at HM Land Registry. At Ordnance Survey, he was responsible for digital products, its Innovations Lab and the Geovation startup incubator. He brings that experience to helping UK space companies raise investment, reach customers and expand internationally.Sue Daley OBE: Sue Daley is Director of Technology and Innovation at techUK, where her work covers AI, cloud, data, quantum technologies, semiconductors and digital ethics. She received an OBE for services to the technology industry in the 2025 New Year Honours and joined the government's Women in Tech Taskforce in December 2025. Sue also sits on the Satellite Applications Catapult Advisory Group and the Bank of England's AI Consortium. Her work connects technology policy with adoption, commercialisation and the conditions businesses need to grow.In-Orbit is brought to you by the Satellite Applications Catapult. Subscribe and follow us on social media to stay in-orbit.Satellite Applications Catapult: LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Website Produced by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

Behind every launch is a business story. Dallas Campbell meets the founders, engineers, and policymakers shaping the UK space industry. In-Orbit is back with Series Six brought to you from the Satellite Applications Catapult. Satellite Applications Catapult: LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Website

How do you turn an ambitious space tech start-up into a 'space unicorn' generating £10 million in revenue? In this bonus episode, Dallas Campbell and Mark Saxon, Chief of External Affairs at the Satellite Applications Catapult, drill into the mechanics and importance of the UK's Industrial Strategy. Mark breaks down why space is a vital 'frontier industry' nested within the broader Advanced Manufacturing sector and what this means for business owners. The strategy, a core mission to grow the economy, is already delivering, with government securing over £250 billion in investment into the IS-8 sectors since July.The conversation reveals where the money is, including £135 million in traditional UK Space Agency funding and increased innovation procurement funds for the defence sector. Mark explains the vital role of patient capital from the British Business Bank and the National Wealth Fund, which is specifically directed to help space companies grow. Ultimately, this strategy aims to make the UK a leading exporter of space technology and data.If you’re a founder, investor, or policy professional in the space, AI, or quantum technologies, this is your guide to the future of the UK space economy.(00:00) - Welcome to Outer Orbit (01:10) - Industrial Strategy Overview (02:51) - Funding and Support for Space Sector (05:47) - Ambitions for the UK Space Sector (06:47) - Challenges and Complexities Mark Saxon: Mark Saxon is the Chief of External Affairs at the Satellite Applications Catapult. With over two decades of experience in corporate communications, government relations, and policy, Mark leads the Catapult's external engagement, clusters, and critical business growth functions to support companies from start-up to scale-up. Satellite Applications Catapult: LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Website Produced by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

Is the UK's commitment to space being watered down, or is the recent merger of the UK Space Agency (UKSA) into the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) a smart move for efficiency? Host Dallas Campbell sits down with Mark Saxon, Chief of External Affairs at the Satellite Applications Catapult, to dissect the political landscape shaping the UK space industry's future. They dive deep into the National Space Strategy, the new Industrial Strategy, and the critical importance of a "one government approach" to space policy. Mark argues for a necessary shift from R&D-led grant funding to commercially-driven growth, stressing that to create 'space unicorns,' the sector must move past talking only about technology and instead focus on powerful, benefit-driven stories for customers and investors. This timely conversation explores the push to scale up UK businesses to £10 million in revenue and capitalises on the current momentum, which is backed by a fresh £1.5 million investment from the UK Space Agency to unlock climate and transport innovations. Discover why Mark is optimistic about the sector's trajectory and the actionable steps needed to ensure its global success.(00:00) - Welcome to In-Orbit (02:06) - The Role of Marketing in UK Space (03:10) - Government's Role in Space (06:45) - UK Space Agency Merger (11:59) - Defense and Space (14:18) - ISAM and UK Launch (16:27) - Government's Commitment to Space Sector (18:26) - Overview of the Industrial Strategy (20:56) - Marketing Space to Investors and Companies (22:52) - Challenges in Scaling Up Space Companies (26:02) - Impact of Defense Spending on Space Sector (28:13) - Regulation and Its Role in Space Industry Growth (29:55) - Communicating the Benefits of Space Technology (31:13) - International Opportunities for UK Space Companies (31:59) - Reflections on the UK Space Industry Mark Saxon: Chief of External Affairs at the Satellite Applications Catapult, Mark Saxon is a communications, policy, and public affairs expert with over 20 years of experience. With a PhD in genetics, he transitioned his deep technical background from the life sciences sector, including work for companies like Pfizer and Coca-Cola, to championing the growth of the UK space economy. He focuses on enabling businesses to scale, generate exports, and effectively communicate the commercial value of space data and technology.Satellite Applications Catapult: LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Website Produced by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.