Business & Technology
Intuitive Machines to acquire Goonhilly in UK deal
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.
Stagecoach has announced one new express route, and changes to three buses ahead of the summer.
Starting from May 31, residents can expect changes to service 10, 12, and 13 in the city, as well as a new express route.
The bus company has introduced service 9, a new clockwise express route.
The bus will be running every 30 minutes serving East Oxford.
Starting from Speedwell Street, it will provide connections to St Clement’s Street, Headington Road, the John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, The Slade, Hollow Way and Cowley Road before terminating back at Speedwell Street.
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Meanwhile service 10 will become an anti‑clockwise express route, running every 30 minutes.
Starting from Speedwell Street, it will provide connections to Cowley Road, Hollow Way, the Slade, Headington, the John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington Road, and St Clement’s Street before terminating back at Speedwell Street.
Service 12 will run every 30 minutes from Speedwell Street to Horspath Road, via Cowley Road, Templars Square and Hollow Way.
Service 13 will run every 30 minutes from Speedwell Street to Barns Road, via St Clement’s Street, Headington Road, the John Radcliffe Hospital and Headington, Wood Farm, Hollow Way, and Templars Square, terminating at Kersington Crescent.
Some morning and evening services will also serve Blackbird Leys, for customers commuting to the John Radcliffe Hospital.
Bicester-based Hedley Studios Ltd, which makes miniaturised electric versions of classic cars, had administrators appointed in March with the majority of its 74 employees being made redundant.
It was later revealed the business, which was formed out of The Little Car Company in 2025, has had creditors worth £2,070,036.
The biggest of these included £618,464 owed to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, £191,535 to Bentley Motors and £56,111 to transportation firm Pro-Logistics.
READ MORE: UK car manufacturer’s £2m debts to Bentley and tax collector
Now, on May 13, the company has revealed it will be changing its name, with Companies House currently referring to it as HSL Realisations 2026 Limited.
The details of the name change are currently being processed and are set to be made available soon.
The administrator’s proposal, compiled by representatives of administrators Interpath, details how the company struggled in late December 2025, and so former owner of the business Ben Hedley purchased the shareholding from Island Capital LLC.
The investor group had led to the acquisition of previous company The Little Car Company.
Following the management buyout late last year, Interpath was appointed to explore sale and restructuring options as a short-term liquidity requirement was identified.
This means the business needed cash to cover upcoming payments, often within 30 days although this has not been confirmed in this case.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Interpath launched the early options process by marketing the business to over 250 trade and financial parties.
“The early options process ultimately resulted in no offers on either a solvent or insolvent basis.”
After this the company appointed administrators on March 4.
The business and certain of the assets were sold to a connected party, Hedley Labs Limited, with £100,000 having already been received and a further £150,000 due in May.
As for Hedley Studios and its remaining assets, a spokesperson for Interpath said: “Whilst we consider it prudent to retain all options available, it is anticipated that the most likely exit route from administration will be via dissolution or a creditors’ voluntary liquidation.”
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They added: “Following an extensive sales process, no offers for a rescue of the whole company were received and therefore rescuing the company…was not achievable.
“Therefore, our primary objective is to achieve a better result for the company’s creditors as a whole than would be likely if the company were wound up.”
In its previous guise, as The Little Car Company, it hosted a royal visit with Prince Michael of Kent trying out some of the cars in 2024.
The company makes its cars in partnership with a range of luxury manufacturers, including Aston Martin, Bentley and Ferrari.
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.
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