Lift-off for new space agency which aims to rocket UK out of recession

The UK Space Agency, which is intended to be the "muscle" behind Britain's aspirations to become a major player in space exploration during the next two decades, was launched today as captains of industry and children clapped in time to a countdown that ended with the unveiling of a shiny red, white and blue logo.

The British space industry contributes £6.5bn to the economy annually and is growing at 9% a year. The continued success of the industry, which focuses on building satellites and associated electrical equipment, has marked it out as one sector that could help Britain recover from the financial crisis.

Last month, a report from the government-appointed Space Innovation and Growth Team (IGT) proposed a strategy to expand the industry sixfold, lifting Britain into the world's top 10 space nations. Today, the UK ranks 21st globally.

www.guardian.co.uk...

Woop Woop, finally an industry in growth in the U.K and machines we are actually building! This looks very encouraging both in an economic sense with the job being created and Britian's part in the inevitable new economic 'space race'.

Related thread.

www.abovetopsecret.com...


[edit on 23-3-2010 by Peruvianmonk]

reply to post by Peruvianmonk


I don't know about you but I think any money going into space exploration is a good thing. The more countries that are out there the less that can be kept secret and the more that is explored.

Good in my books.

Thanks for the post!!

Pred...

reply to post by predator0187


Oh yes i think it is a fantastic thing. Obviously the U.K cannot compete with the likes of China, Russia and India when it comes to manned space missions. But we can provide sattelites and electronics to put us at the forefront of the final frontier.

We are currently 21st in global rankings in the space field, the ambition is to get into the top 10. And with the industry growing at 9% a year who says we can't do it? YES WE CAN.

[edit on 24-3-2010 by Peruvianmonk]

Ooo, very interesting!

First I've heard about this, but I'll be keeping an eye on it. This can only be a good thing for the UK and space exploration in general.

S&F

reply to post by nik1halo


Yeh too right.

Here are some more links to the news on and to the agency itself.

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk...
www.foxnews.com...
www.ft.com...

The agency itself.
www.bnsc.gov.uk...

Their objectives

We have three long-term objectives:
* to enhance the UK's standing in astronomy, planetary and environmental sciences;
* to stimulate increased productivity by promoting the use of space in government, science and commerce; and
* to develop innovative space systems, to deliver sustainable improvement in the quality of life.

reply to post by Peruvianmonk


Cheers for that mate, I shall peruse that info at my leisure

Now this is surely a step in the right direction. A single council to co-ordinate resources and projects..

It was back in 2003 when the English Beagle 2 mars mission was launched and pretty much nothing else of any consequence has been picked up because of the level of private funding of this project ending in disaster due to a mishap with the metric systems between the US and the UK... Such a stupid error.

Now with a UKSA governing body, private funding can be forwarded into the whole without having to invest in a single projects.

This means a massive boost for space projects within the UK.

Although we have generated astronauts, Britain has and will continue to favour unmanned space missions.

It is of my opinion that cost can be kept to a minimum while achieving so much more than human experience of space.

I think this is a major step forward and an exciting time for the UK space industry!!

I look forward to seeing what projects are unveiled by UKSA.

All the best,

Korg.

Edit... almost forgot star and flag

[edit on 24-3-2010 by Korg Trinity]

Thankyou for the S&F. I agree it is a massive positive step. Its pretty clear that space is the future. I remember Beagle 2 and this guy.



I hope he will be heavily invovled in this new agency. Legend.



[edit on 24-3-2010 by Peruvianmonk]

Originally posted by Peruvianmonk

Thankyou for the S&F. I agree it is a massive positive step. Its pretty clear that space is the future. I remember Beagle 2 and this guy.



I hope he will be heavily invovled in this new agency. Legend.

That’s Professor Colin Pillinger, and although the source is the sun (damn those page 3 moments!) has been reported as being a major backer of UKSA.

This from todays Sun.

Lift off ... UK Space Agency has been launched By PROFESSOR COLIN PILLINGER

A British space agency has to have a budget big enough for it to launch our own space missions and to collaborate with other nations. Not just Europe and the Americans, but countries like India, which is supposed to be poorer than we are but has recognised that a space programme encourages students to take up science and engineering.

We have to be able to say to the likes of China and Japan, 'Come and join our mission and, yes, we'd like to join yours'. We must not find ourselves having to hitchhike again like Beagle 2. The British space industry is a fantastic success, turning over £6.5billion a year and employing 70,000 people.

I wonder where the sights will be trained? Will it be local sat installations first or do we have our sights on Mars again?

Personally I would love to see a probe land on Europa.

Something like this

Deep-sea probe hunts new life-forms

Testing a Europa Probe Prototype

I have very little positive to say about our Labour Government... but this most defiantly the right decision and wayyyyyy overdue.

All the best,

Korg.

reply to post by Korg Trinity


Good to see he is going to be a top boy at the agency.

As for where they are going to train any probes they make or help to make in co-ordination with other powers, i would agree that Europa is very tempting.

Also Io would be interesting to see ,if a probe could survive the heat.

I would suggest a trip to Titan as well, but isn't there already a probe on the way?


[edit on 24-3-2010 by Peruvianmonk]

reply to post by Korg Trinity


Yes definetely a probe to europa , I think it would be best to send a orbital satellite to take measurements of the vents of methane , and also fire a projectile at europa to penetrate the surface ice where its thinnest , the penetrating ballistic then sheds its payload once through the ice layer , and the ROV controlled by the orbiting satellite moves around looking for volcanic vents !

Something along those lines

reply to post by sapien82


Europa is the one isn't it? However could we contaminate any potential lifeforms there with any landing and exploration into the icy surface?

What kind of input could the new British space agency have in this kind of operation? The electronics? The whole probe?

Originally posted by Peruvianmonk
reply to post by sapien82

 

Europa is the one isn't it? However could we contaminate any potential lifeforms there with any landing and exploration into the icy surface?

What kind of input could the new British space agency have in this kind of operation? The electronics? The whole probe?

Now there is a thought..

Image getting way down and finding volcanic vents but no life?? Then because of those tough buggers - -> microbes, that have somehow managed to survive the process of getting there on the probe start to multiply..

then in 50 years when the next probe arrives it detects life!!! OMG life!!! lol

Seriously though, I have high hopes that we will see life on Europa. Even with a thick crust of ice, it still would have been bombarded by comets and asteroids over time that could have brought the building blocks.

I wonder what effect .1 of a g gravity would have on developing life forms? Should we expect large bloated life forms? or maybe the pressure of the ocean would more than compensate??

I wonder how long it will be before we get some kind of program schedule from UKSA??

All the best,

Korg.

[edit on 25-3-2010 by Korg Trinity]