A new funding request of €17.5 million opened this Tuesday for British science and technology to fly to space if the proposed mission with Axiom Space goes ahead, the British Space Agency announced.

The agency is seeking the UK’s best science and technology proposals that could fly into space with a team of British astronauts, funded by commercial sponsors. Axiom Space confirmed that active discussions are underway with commercial sponsors regarding the mission concept.

Two new funding requests have been opened, one for science and another for technology demonstrators, in preparation for reaching a deal took a team of four British astronauts on a commercially sponsored missionpotentially to the International Space Station (ISS).

While commercial funding for the project is dependent on mission development, the UK Space Agency is offering scientists, innovators and businesses the opportunity to submit proposals now to maximize the mission’s benefits in the short term.

Andrew Griffith MP, Minister for Space at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “There is huge potential for UK business to play an increasingly important role in space exploration and the development of new technologies. The €17.5 million funding request marks a significant step in our collaborative mission with Axiom Space and I urge the UK science and technology community to seize this opportunity to drive discovery and unleash innovation in important technologies.”

Tuesday’s announcement follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the UK Space Agency and Axiom Space in October 2023, which outlined plans to carry out a commercially sponsored UK astronaut mission and an initial request for ideas for Science and Technology.