North East’s space sector shows off skills to US businesses

The Space North East England delegation visited Orlando for Florida Commercial Space Week, taking part in a week of conferences, meetings, and tours along the renowned Space Coast.

Representatives from UK space companies and universities in the North East were in attendance, all aiming to build global partnerships, showcase regional expertise, and explore new collaboration opportunities.

Space North East England (Image: Supplied)

The group included delegates from Durham, Newcastle, and Northumbria universities, as well as North East firms MSP and NEL Technologies.

Lisa Mullen, interim cluster manager for Space North East England, said: “Our mission brought North East England’s leading innovators into the heart of Florida’s booming space ecosystem during Commercial Space Week to SpaceCom 2026.

“It helped us forge new collaborations and opened market opportunities, as well as reinforcing transatlantic links across the commercial space sector.”

Space North East England (Image: Supplied)

Over the course of the five-day visit, which concluded at the weekend, the delegation held talks with global industry leaders, promoted North East and UK capabilities, and established relationships to support future investment and growth.

Their schedule began at the University of Central Florida, with a programme focused on industry, academia, and the broader space ecosystem.

The following day took them to Florida’s Space Coast for meetings and site visits with major space organisations, including Space Florida.

Artemis II (Image: Supplied)

On the third day, the group toured NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre to witness space launch operations firsthand.

They saw the SLS rocket on the launchpad during final preparations for the Artemis II mission, which will send crew on a lunar flyby to test the Orion spacecraft in deep space.

The final two days were spent in Orlando at Commercial Space Week and SpaceCom 2026, where the group pitched their technologies and services to potential investors and collaborators.

NASA (Image: Supplied)

Ms Mullen said: “It was a fantastic visit for the delegation and we hope we’ve done the North East proud and that the relationships we’ve built and the contacts we’ve made will benefit the region’s space sector, which has continued to go from strength to strength in recent years.

“There’s no substitute for being in the room where things are happening, and it was great for us to be there representing the region, showing the skills and expertise we can contribute to investors in this field.”

The visit was arranged by the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade and hosted by the British Consulate General in Miami.

The Exolith Lab (Image: Supplied)

In a show of growing international ties, a delegation from Space Florida is expected to visit the North East next month.

Space North East England will also host its annual North East Space Conference in June, bringing together regional, national, and international delegates.

For more information on Space North East England, visit https://www.spacenortheastengland.com/about-space-north-east.