Intuitive Machines is set to acquire Goonhilly, subject to UK regulatory approval, leaving the Cornwall-based company as a UK entity under US ownership.

The deal also includes Goonhilly USA, known as COMSAT, and would add 44 antennas to Intuitive Machines’ existing network. The combined business would continue to run Goonhilly’s operations from Cornwall while linking them with COMSAT’s teleport sites in Connecticut and California.

Goonhilly has built its business around lunar and deep space communications, a niche drawing growing attention as government agencies and private operators increase activity beyond Earth orbit. It says it has supported more than 20 missions since entering the commercial market for these services in 2021, including work for NASA, the European Space Agency, ispace and Intuitive Machines.

Its role in Intuitive Machines’ recent lunar missions appears to have helped underpin the transaction. In 2024 and 2025, Goonhilly supported the US group’s IM-1 and IM-2 missions, giving the two companies an established operational relationship before the takeover agreement.

The move gives Intuitive Machines a direct presence in the UK space sector and adds a ground station business with experience in communications for spacecraft operating beyond geostationary orbit. Alongside deep space links, Goonhilly and COMSAT also provide satellite ground station services and radio frequency-based space domain awareness work for security-focused customers.

Growing demand

The transaction comes as operators across the space sector seek more ground infrastructure to maintain contact with spacecraft over greater distances and for longer missions. Deep space communications networks remain a specialised part of the market, but they are becoming more important as lunar missions increase and more companies pursue sustained operations around and on the Moon.

For the UK, the deal keeps one of the country’s better-known space assets in Cornwall while placing it within a larger US group. The business would retain its UK status after the acquisition rather than moving operations overseas.

That point was central to the reaction from ministers. “Goonhilly Earth Station is a uniquely British success story, and this acquisition by Intuitive Machines, subject to regulatory approval, is a testament to the world-class capabilities it has built right here in Cornwall, where it will remain.

Combining Goonhilly’s expertise in lunar and deep space communications with Intuitive Machines’ global reach and resources has the potential to bring new investment, new jobs and new opportunities for the UK space sector,” said Liz Lloyd, UK space minister.

Management reaction

Goonhilly’s leadership described the transaction as the next stage in a long-standing partnership between the two businesses. “Having worked closely with Intuitive Machines for many years, we’re delighted to be taking this transformative step in our relationship,” said Kenn Herskind, executive chairman of Goonhilly. “Both our companies are playing an increasingly important commercial role in the future of space exploration and utilisation – we’re excited to shape that reality together.”

For Intuitive Machines, the purchase broadens the ground segment of its business as spacecraft operators seek more integrated support. “Customers rely on resilient connectivity and communication as they establish a Moon base and deep space environments,” said Steve Altemus, co-founder and chief executive of Intuitive Machines. “Goonhilly provided deep ground station and communications expertise and technological prowess during our IM-1 and IM-2 missions and also proven on missions for NASA, ESA, and many other leaders. Together with COMSAT’s secure teleport infrastructure, brings critical strength to the space-to-ground network our customers depend on to operate their spacecraft.”

Cornwall base

Goonhilly is focused on maintaining continuity for existing customers during the ownership change. That matters because ground station services are part of operational mission support, and interruptions can affect command, control and data handling for spacecraft operators.

The business traces its identity to the historic Goonhilly Earth Station site in Cornwall, long associated with satellite communications in the UK. In recent years, it has repositioned itself around newer space markets, including lunar communications and tracking services for missions beyond standard commercial satellite orbits.

The proposed takeover reflects a wider industry trend as operators seek to combine spacecraft, network and ground assets under common ownership. For Intuitive Machines, buying Goonhilly and COMSAT would extend that model with infrastructure in both the UK and the US, and deepen its reach into commercial, civil and security-related communications work.

Upon completion, Goonhilly will continue operating from Cornwall and will keep working closely with the COMSAT teleports in Connecticut and California.

ANS has been approved to deliver the Level 5 AI Leadership Apprenticeship Unit through its ANS Academy and is launching a Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner apprenticeship.

The new programmes expand the Manchester-based digital transformation provider’s training offer as demand grows for staff who can manage AI adoption within businesses. The Level 5 unit is aimed at leaders, managers and professionals responsible for setting AI strategy, while the Level 4 standard is designed for those leading automation and AI-driven change in teams or departments.

Department for Education approval makes ANS one of the first providers to offer the new Level 5 unit. The course will cover innovation management, governance and responsible AI implementation.

Apprenticeship units differ from traditional apprenticeship programmes in being shorter and more focused on specific skills. The format is intended to help learners gain specialist knowledge in a matter of weeks while fitting around existing roles.

The Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner apprenticeship has a broader operational focus. Its curriculum includes prompting, AI agents, quality management, governance, ethics and organisational change, and it is open to people in both technical and non-technical roles.

The expansion comes as employers face pressure to move AI projects from trials into routine business use while managing governance and oversight. Training providers and technology companies have increasingly focused on the skills gap that can slow adoption, particularly among managers expected to make decisions on risk, process changes and responsible use.

ANS said the programmes form part of its wider strategy to help organisations embed AI in workflows and change how teams operate. It links that approach to what it calls “Frontier Firm” ways of working, where AI is integrated into day-to-day processes rather than treated as a stand-alone experiment.

The academy has become a prominent part of that strategy. Earlier this year, ANS said it became the first apprenticeship provider to achieve a “strong standard” across all categories under Ofsted’s new inspection framework.

Toria Walters outlined the reasoning behind the new courses.

“As AI moves from experimentation into everyday business operations, organisations need people with the skills to adopt it strategically and responsibly at scale. Expanding our Academy offering with these programmes is an important part of how we support that transition.

“They have been designed to make AI skills development far more accessible and practical for organisations at every stage of their AI journey. Together, they provide a flexible pathway for organisations looking to build confidence and capability around AI quickly and responsibly,” said Toria Walters, chief people officer at ANS.

The training is intended for both ANS’s own workforce and other organisations looking to build internal AI expertise. That reflects a wider market shift as companies seek formal training routes for staff beyond specialist data science or engineering teams.

ANS has also strengthened its ties with Microsoft as it builds its AI advisory and implementation work. Earlier this year, the company said it became one of the UK’s first Microsoft Frontier Partners after being named Microsoft UK Partner of the Year.

Richard Thompson said the courses are intended to address organisational barriers that go beyond access to software.

“At ANS, we talk about becoming a Frontier Firm – organisations that embed AI across workflows to augment people, improve productivity and unlock new ways of working.

“But achieving that transformation requires more than access to technology alone. The right skills, governance and leadership capabilities are needed to embed AI effectively, and these programmes will be an important part of helping businesses build that foundation with confidence,” said Thompson.

The move also aligns with broader government attention on apprenticeships and workforce development as AI becomes a larger part of economic policy and business planning. For employers, shorter, targeted courses may be easier to adopt than longer programmes when they need to train managers and operational staff without taking them away from day-to-day roles for extended periods.

Both programmes are now open for registrations of interest, with enrolment for organisational cohorts planned at a later date.

Residents in Bicester (OX25 – OX27) can expect delays ‘temporarily’ due to sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Royal Mail said: “We aim to deliver to all addresses we have mail for, six days a week.

“In a small number of local offices, this may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors.

“In those cases, we will rotate deliveries to minimise the delay to individual customers.

“We also provide targeted support to those offices to address their challenges and restore our service to the high standard our customers would normally receive.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. We will regularly update customers on the offices most impacted here.”

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In August 2025 Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East, said she had ‘long been concerned with the poor standard’ of service from Royal Mail in her constituency.

She said at the time that despite ‘numerous temporary fixes’ being implemented over the years, the ‘underlying issues have persisted’.

“They are now consistently delivering to more than 85 per cent of addresses six days a week, compared with 70 per cent of addresses at the beginning of the year, which is a good start, but still leaves 15 per cent of my constituents without the mail they need,” Ms Dodds said.