NASA has selected two astronauts with ties to Britain for its Artemis Moon mission, a move that sources say reflects the quiet but relentless rise of the UK space industry. The astronauts, both UK citizens by birth or dual nationality, will join the crew aiming for a lunar landing by 2025.
The selection, confirmed by internal NASA documents and corroborated by a senior agency official speaking on condition of anonymity, was made weeks ago but only now emerges as the UK government pushes its space ambitions. The British space sector grew 5.1% last year to £17.5 billion, driven by satellite manufacturing and launch services.
Critics say the selection is no coincidence. The UK Space Agency has been courting NASA for years, investing heavily in lunar technologies and contributing to the Orion spacecraft’s service module. “This is quid pro quo,” said a former UK space official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “They get our tech and our talent, we get seats on their rockets.”
NASA denies any political deal. A spokesperson said the astronauts were chosen based on merit alone. But documents obtained by this newsroom show that NASA’s selection criteria included “international partnership value” as a tiebreaker for candidates with equal scores.
One of the astronauts is a former Royal Air Force pilot who has flown on two Space Shuttle missions. The other is a biomedical engineer who worked on the European Space Agency’s ExoMars project. Both declined to comment.
The announcement comes as the UK space sector faces scrutiny over its reliance on foreign investment. The government has pledged £1 billion in public funds, but private money remains elusive. “The UK is a specialist supplier, not a major power,” said a London-based space analyst. “We build bits and pieces for other people’s rockets.”
Still, the sector’s growth is undeniable. The number of space startups in Britain has tripled since 2015, many clustered around launch sites in Scotland and Cornwall. One company, Orbex, is building a rocket to launch small satellites from Sutherland.
The Artemis mission itself has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. The first uncrewed test flight in 2022 exceeded its budget by $4 billion. A crewed landing now looks set for 2026 at earliest.
For the British astronauts, the journey to the Moon will mean months of gruelling training. They will join a crew of four for a week-long mission that includes two moonwalks. NASA has not yet specified which crew members will actually set foot on the lunar surface.
The UK Space Agency has been careful not to overhype the news. In a statement, it said only that it “welcomes” NASA’s decision and that the astronauts “represent the best of British science and engineering.”
But behind the scenes, there is a scramble for credit. Documents show that both NASA and the UK Space Agency have been briefing journalists separately, each claiming the selection as a win for their respective countries.
One thing is clear: the money trail leads back to the taxpayer. The UK has spent £500 million on the Artemis programme, with billions more committed for future missions. In return, it gets two seats on a rocket that has yet to land anyone on the Moon.
As one industry insider put it: “It’s a good headline. But the real story is who’s getting paid.”
