Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill, who is giving a keynote speech at the expo, said the Scottish space sector was now “a vitally important industry”.
She said: “With our globally renowned expertise in designing and building satellites and rockets, world-leading universities and research centres analysing and applying space data, a commitment to sustainability and unrivalled geographical launch advantages, Scotland is rightly positioned at the forefront of the ever accelerating space revolution.”
The Scottish government’s Business Minister Richard Lochhead said the funding will help accelerate the industry.
“Scotland’s space sector and wider supply chain is already delivering on its significant economic potential but also helping solve some of the world’s most important challenges from climate change to telecommunications,” he said.
“This funding from the National Space Innovation Programme will help accelerate this work, leveraging our world-class universities to ensure the country’s industry remains at the forefront of space technology development and advancement.”
Further funding includes £350,000 for Space Scotland to strengthen capabilities in Earth Observation and In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (ISAM) by fostering new partnerships between academia, industry, and government.
Another £410,000 of funding will go towards the OXYGEN project, aimed at making lunar exploration more sustainable. Partners in the project include the University of Glasgow.
The two day Space-Comm Expo will include talks and panels on topics including spaceports, rocket launches, satellite manufacturing, computing, AI and robotics.
Speakers include James ‘JD’ Polk, the chief health and medical officer at Nasa, astronaut and pilot David Mackay and Dr Sian Proctor, the first woman commercial spaceship pilot.
Space Agency statistics show that Scotland accounts for 13% of total UK space sector employment, with about 7,120 people employed, making it the third-largest employer after London (33%) and the South East (17%).