The Pounds 40 million International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) in Oxfordshire is transforming ambition into action with the first contract awarded to create a new capability in Earth Observation for the UK, paving the way for a better understanding of our planet and growth in the industrial sector underpinning this work.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council, which is leading the ISIC project, is awarding a contract to form the first key element of the ISIC, an Earth Observation (EO) Hub. The Pounds 4.9m contract has been awarded to a consortium led by top space company Astrium to develop an end to end operations centre on the Harwell campus with the ability to run cost effective satellite flight operations and payload data processing and exploitation.

This development was a recommendation of the recent 'Space Innovation and Growth Strategy', a joint government, industry and academia initiative that set out a 20-year vision for the future growth of the UK space industry.

STFC Chief Executive Professor Keith Mason said "The Earth Observation Hub will enable the UK to operate advanced spacecraft and process the data from them, transforming large amounts of complex information into answers to questions on climate change and its effect on our environment, and laying the foundations for new applications of space data."

He added "ISIC is the linchpin of a growing space activity at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. The European Space Agency has opened its first UK Centre here and other agencies and space companies are very keen to be part of the expansion."

The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has confirmed an investment of Pounds 12 million in to the centre via its Strategic Investment Fund, kick-starting work at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, where ISIC is based.

Minister of State for Universities and Science David Willetts said: "The Earth Observation Hub will help UK scientists make the most of the wealth of information we are collecting about our home planet, in vital areas such as monitoring the effects of climate change or so we can respond quickly to natural disasters throughout the world.

It's the important first step in making the International Space Innovation Centre a reality, linking regional space capabilities and promoting knowledge-sharing between academia and industry. This will support further growth in a sector already worth more than Pounds 6 billion a year to our economy."

The new EO hub represents a new model of partnership between government, industry and academia to develop a centre of excellence for the acquisition and processing of space data. Work on the design and installation of the necessary equipment will start immediately and the EO Hub is expected to be operational by March 2011.

Colin Paynter, CEO, Astrium UK, said: "The ability to observe our planet is crucial in monitoring climate change, responding effectively to natural disasters, and ensuring global security. At Astrium we have a strong heritage in developing EO missions and we look forward to working closely with our partners in delivering a first class EO capability for the UK."

As the prime industrial contractor, Astrium's team will include Vega, the professional services company, SSTL, the specialist small satellite manufacturer and Infoterra, a leader in geo-information products.

Astrium, together with its industrial partners, has provided investment into the EO Hub to deliver performance for the facility and to ensure a successful operation by 2011, including an investment from Infoterra, which will provide further development, to create a world leading satellite geo-information services centre at Harwell by 2013.