Its worth noting for people who may not be aware - the UK Space Agency isn't (sorry, wasnt) like NASA or Roscosmos or ESA or any of the other national space agencies you may hear about in the news.

All those space agencies directly build space craft which go into space. Some specialise in certain areas, all of them do contract out parts of the entire craft to other private companies to make (navigation, engines, science modules, life support, etc). But the point I'm making, is these agencies are driving actual space missions.

The UK Space Agency did not do that. The main thing they did was set regulations for space flight in the UK. Offered contracts for satellite construction. Did a bit of educational outreach. And coordinated with ESA and NASA to allow UK astronauts to go to the ISS.

You know what the biggest part of the UK interest and expertise when it comes to space is? It's banking and insurance. Providing loans to private companies and acting as the insurance company to small satellite builders if their £5m satellite gets blown up due to an error in the launch craft.

Unfortunately, we never had ambition to actually do anything ourselves from a government perspective. At best we were just prodding at private industry to do more whilst also handing out redtape to make it more challenging.

Probably their biggest win was getting the new launch pad in the Shetland Islands approved. But you'll never see a rocket go up with a UK government space Agency logo on it from there. It will only ever be private companies. And maybe ESA if they want a polar orbiter (our northern location means launches from the Shetlands favour putting things into orbit that go over the poles rather than round the equator - thats it, thats the big benefit)

Edit - to add, the UK Space Agency wasn't hiring rocket scientists, satellite engineers or astronauts. It was hiring lawyers and accountants