American space leaders get sneak preview of Northumbria University’s new £50m space centre

The heads of Space Florida touched down in the North East this week to check out progress on a £50m investment set to boost the region’s space sector capabilities to a whole new level.

Northumbria University’s emerging North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST), was one of a number of facilities the Americans were keen to take in as they toured some of the region’s most exciting space, engineering and advanced‑manufacturing projects.

Over the past year, the Centre has been gradually taking shape with the skeletal structure from last summer now transformed into a fully complete building awaiting installations, which will allow it to open later this year.

Dave Moody, NESST director at Northumbria University, gave the Space Florida delegation a guided tour of the facility, which is being developed with the UK Space Agency and American defence and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.

Once operational, the Centre will focus on satellite technology, space physics and advanced research, creating up to 350 jobs as it becomes a ‘national space asset’.

Dave was delighted with the American interest and said it was a sign of the growing importance of the region’s space sector.

"The visit from Space Florida reinforced just how much appetite there is internationally for what the North East is developing and can deliver,” he said.

“NESST is designed to build on Northumbria University's established expertise to be a globally significant hub for space research, skills and technology development - and visits like this one confirm NESST, the region's universities and the North East Technology Park in Sedgefield, County Durham are on exactly the right trajectory. 

“We're looking forward to exploring collaboration opportunities and what these could mean for our students, our researchers and the wider regional space sector.”

This week’s whistle-stop tour was organised by Space North East England (SNEE) - the body representing the North East space sector - which has been building strong transatlantic links

Last year, Space Florida attended the annual Space North East England conference in Durham, and the compliment was returned earlier this year when North East delegates visited Florida and NASA sites.

Those involved in this year’s SNEE conference in Durham in June are hoping the visit from the Americans will turbocharge relationships developed over the past year.

Lisa Mullen, Interim Cluster Director of Space North East England, said: “Space Florida is well aware of the UK’s growing capabilities in the space sector and made a point of visiting several areas across the country involved in this sector last year.

“However, the North East is the only place they have planned a specific, follow-up visit to this year, because they’re excited about the possible collaborations and link-ups that can be made.

"We enjoyed showing them projects we thought they'd be especially interested in.”

Space Florida’s delegation was led by Matt Chesnut, its vice president of business development, who has previously emphasised his commitment to strengthening transatlantic links with the UK.

In addition to Matt, the small Space Florida leadership group included Zach Bettis, Space Sector business development manager; Jimmy Moffitt, vice president of Spaceport Operations; and Rufus Drabble, the Consul General to Miami.

Lisa said this week SNEE's job was to showcase the region’s growing capabilities in satellite technology, instrumentation, and high‑value manufacturing.

The tour began at 3S Northumbria - a start-up led by Ralph ‘Dinz’  Dinsley, the charismatic creator of a company creating ways to tackle the growing problem of space debris in the atmosphere, posing a risk to satellites.

From there, the delegation headed to NESST before spending the afternoon at NETPark in Sedgefield, the region’s flagship science and technology park.

Space Florida representatives had a working lunch with companies from the Space North East England cluster, who showcased their expertise and current projects. 

The session also included an overview of Durham University’s SPARC (Space Research Centre), which leads research into astrophysics, instrumentation and space‑science applications.

The delegation then toured Durham’s Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI), home to world‑class facilities that develop optics and precision instruments for astronomy and space missions.

And the visit concluded at Filtronic’s facility, where the US team had a close-up view of one of the region’s strongest space‑manufacturing success stories. Filtronic specialises in advanced RF, microwave and mmWave technologies used in satellite communications and high‑performance aerospace systems.

Lisa Mullen said the visit was a major opportunity to showcase the region’s capabilities on a global stage.

“Space Florida is one of the most influential organisations in the US commercial space sector, so hosting them here is a fantastic endorsement of what our region is achieving,” she said. “We want them to see the ambition, the skills and the collaborative spirit that make the North East such a strong partner for future space‑sector growth.”

Further discussions between the organisations are expected following the visit.

* This year's North East Space Conference is due to be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Durham on Tuesday, June 9th, from 9 am to 3 pm. Entry is free. For more information, visit the Space North East England page here.