Britain backs biomanufacturing in space

UK accelerates regulatory and funding support for in‑orbit pharmaceutical manufacturing

The UK is stepping up its backing for companies developing medicines and materials in space, with government agencies working together to create a clearer pathway for in‑orbit manufacturing. 

The UK Space Agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have launched a coordinated package of regulatory and funding measures to help innovators bring space‑manufactured products to market.

Microgravity manufacturing: a growing opportunity for drug development

In‑orbit manufacturing is rapidly emerging as a transformative area within the global space economy. Microgravity conditions allow unique and precise production processes, which can significantly improve the behaviour of biologic and protein-based drugs and medicines, offering advantages such as improved crystallisation, higher purity, and enhanced formulation stability for more effective drug delivery and therapeutic options.  

As part of its latest funding initiative, the UK Space Agency has awarded three grants including a £250,000 feasibility study for BioOrbit, a pioneering start-up designing a scalable in-orbit manufacturing system to crystallise biologic drugs for cancer treatments. This work, delivered with the MHRA, is assessing how medicines produced in space can meet existing regulatory expectations and highlighting where new guidance and clarity may be needed for the regulatory pathway of in-orbit pharmaceuticals manufacturing.

A supportive regulatory environment

The MHRA is using experience from its modular and decentralised manufacturing frameworks to guide organisations exploring production in orbit. Developers can also access the Space Agency’s scientific advice services and Innovation Accelerator support.

On the spaceflight side, the CAA continues to license complex missions under the Space Industry Act 2018 and the Outer Space Act 1986. Recent UK missions, such as Space Forge’s ForgeStar 1 and Astroscale UK’s ELSA‑D demonstration, show how innovative in‑orbit technologies can be brought forward safely. To enable future large‑scale manufacturing, the UK government is preparing new guidance, additional regulatory sandboxes and a dedicated Re‑entry Regulatory Sandbox to bring clarity and transparency for licensing UK operated in-orbit manufacturing platforms and support the anticipated growth of such activities in the emerging in-orbit economy.

Investment in space‑enabled life sciences

The UK Space Agency is also expanding national capability and sector demand through:

• Engagement with NHS and biopharma organisations to identify priority use‑cases
• A UK‑Swiss dialogue launching in June 2026 to explore microgravity opportunities
• Funding for new R&D infrastructure, including £8 million for Space Forge’s National Microgravity Research Centre
• Support for feasibility studies and early‑stage companies through programmes such as UKI2S

These initiatives sit alongside DSIT and MHRA activities designed to ensure the UK becomes a leading hub for space‑enabled biomanufacturing.

Supporting industry to innovate

Through joint case studies, scientific and regulatory advice meetings and cross‑government coordination to ensure emerging technologies in space biomanufacturing benefit from proactive regulatory insight, the UK aims to give businesses the clarity and confidence needed to develop new pharmaceuticals and materials using orbital platforms. This reinforces the UK’s commitment to enabling innovation in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Watch this space…

This article was written by Katie Carter from our Healthcare and Life Sciences team and Scott Fyfe from our Space and Satellites team.