MPs warned UK is lagging behind on developing military capability in space
An expert on space security has warned that the UK still lags behind its peers when it comes to developing its capability.
MPs in the Defence Select Committee were also told that the threat of Russia deploying a nuclear weapon to space was still a concern.
Gabriel Elefteriu, deputy director for defence and space at the Council on Geostrategy, described the UK's efforts as "too fragmented" and "lacking in strategic intent".
He added that the US, China and Russia were very much out in front in the race, while the UK was lagging behind the rest of the permanent five members of the UN Security Council.
Mr Elefteriu said: "The ranking is the US, China, Russia, France and UK.
"I would just emphasise that the UK is very far behind so this is one of the most glaring facts about UK-based power which is that there is this huge disconnect between where the UK stands internationally, in terms of its military, economic, diplomatic standing in the world and the world actor, and where we are in terms of space power.
"As the committee's own report noted... the UK spending on space is somewhere in the bottom half of the first 20 countries of that.
"We are the only P5 country without sovereign access to PNT [Military Communications & Positioning, Navigation and Timing], the only P5 country without sovereign access to launch and also, until last year, the only country without a government-owned ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] capability.
"Last year, we had the launch of the Tyche satellites, which is the first UK government spy satellite.
"So it's worth underlining that point that it's only in 2024 that the United Kingdom has launched its first spy satellite.
"If you look by any measure, whether it's spending on military space or capabilities in orbit that we have, we are very far behind our peers, which is a very anomalous situation."
The MPs were also told that Russia deploying nuclear weapons in space was still very much a threat, which could cause widespread disruption if detonated in low Earth orbit.
Juliana Suess, from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, said: "We're talking here about vast and indiscriminate destruction of the orbit in which it is detonated.
"Much obviously depends on the exact location, the exact height and the size which the warhead finds itself, but we're talking about immediate destruction of the satellites in the immediate vicinity as a result of the gamma blasts.
"But we are then also talking about damage to the electronics generally in that orbit through the electromagnetic pulse and through heightened radiation, which would be a much longer process and we're talking about degradation over time here.
"So specifically, for talking about low earth orbit which hosts over 80%, potentially at this point over 90%, of all satellites which includes the vast majority of all commercial satellites, which will not be radiation-hardened or EMP- [electromagnetic pulse] hardened to the extent that they would be able to sustain such an attack.
"We're talking about an orbit that is potentially unusable for at least a year, not to mention obviously the development of space debris as well that we would have to contend with."
She also warned that European countries had been too reliant on the US when it comes to space - and pointed to China as a growing influence.
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