Britain will join the space race this summer with the launch of two satellites the size of a shoebox from Cornwall.
Equipped with the Ministry of Defense, the so-called cubesats will take off with a Virgin Orbit Launcher One rocket from Newquay Airport.
This will be the first satellite launch from British soil and aims to demonstrate the country’s ability to compete with other space nations such as the United States, Russia and China.
The Prometheus-2 satellites, designed by Airbus and Hampshire-based space missions, are about 30 cm long, 20 cm wide and 10 cm deep.
They will supply sophisticated image sensors to the MoD and allow the UK to monitor satellites belonging to other nations.
The satellite rocket must be carried to an altitude of 35,000 feet above the ocean aboard a modified Boeing 747 aircraft named Cosmic Girl.
It will then be released by the pilot and triggered five seconds later, ejecting its payload into orbit at 8,000 miles per hour.
Britain had satellites launched before, especially in 1971 in Woomera, Australia, as part of a space program that was canceled but never by the United Kingdom itself.
Jeremy Quinn, Secretary of Public Procurement for Defense, said: “Space technology is crucial for the development of defense capabilities and the launch of Prometheus-2 is another important step forward for our home space program.
“This collaboration with In-Space Missions and Airbus is paving the way for the UK to become a more sustainable, stable and significant global space entity.
The possibility of launching from local land is the last piece of the puzzle for the United Kingdom, whose space industry generated total revenue of £ 16.5 billion in 2020, according to the UK Space Agency.
In the same year, around 3,000 jobs were added to the industry, making a total of 47,000, most of them in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
Glasgow alone produces more satellites than anywhere else in Europe.
Because satellites can be very compact, they only require small rockets to lift them, allowing many startups to appear in the development of rockets, fuel, satellites and even factories in space.
The United Kingdom takes advantage of the fact that it is an island that supports the safety of launches, as unsuccessful launches can fall into the sea. Our position relatively far north also helps to reach polar orbits.
Ian Annette, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the United Kingdom Space Agency, said: “These satellites demonstrate the strengths of the United Kingdom in the design and construction of satellites.
“The opportunity to launch from the UK and across Europe will, for the first time, strengthen our satellite industry, create highly skilled jobs across the country and achieve the key ambition of the National Space Strategy.
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