World Region – UK

SaxaVord Spaceport, in the Shetland Islands, has completed a test exercise at its site, up to the point of launch. Dubbed “Operation Freya”, it was intended to allow for a full testing of processes and procedures that are being developed for eventual spaceflight later this year. Specifically the spaceport is on the Lamba Ness peninsula in Unst, which is currently ...

The UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has appointed Lord David Willetts as Chair of the UK Space Agency’s Board. Willetts has previously served as Minister for Universities and Science, and held Chair and Board positions across the space and science sector. For example, he was Chair of the British Science Association, member of the Space Policy Advisory Board for EU ...

Following a public consultation, the government has announced it will introduce legislation to make digital identities as trusted and secure as official documents such as passports and driving licences. Digital identities, which are a virtual form of ID, reduce the time, effort and expense that sharing physical documents can take when people need to provide legal proof of who they ...

The UK government has published what it describes as the UK’s first National Space Strategy. A joint initiative by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Ministry of Defence, it’s intended to outline a “national vision” to grow the UK’s space sector. For context, it points out that the global space economy is projected to grow ...

South Tyneside sacrificial anode manufacture Metec UK has signed contracts worth over £6.5m, to supply Dogger Bank Wind Farm phases A and B, and an off-shore substation in France. “We’re delighted to win these latest contracts, it’s great news for South Tyneside, the North East and the UK,” said Metec commercial manager Graeme Crow (pictured). “Offshore wind projects and developments ...

A UK rocket test facility has been unveiled by the Science Minister Amanda Solloway – the National Space Propulsion Test Facility (NSPTF), located at the Westcott Space Cluster in Aylesbury. The centre is designed to allow companies and universities to test state-of-the-art propulsion engines which are used to move small satellites in space. It could also allow new types of ...

5G network testing by RootMetrics in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Nottingham has shown that while Vodafone and O2 delivered strong 5G median download speeds, EE is the leader when it comes to providing consistently broad availability plus fast speeds. RootMetrics uses a measure it calls  “Everyday 5G” performance which is a combination of results recorded on 5G-only and 5G “mixed ...

The UK government will be launching a competition for nanosatellite designs that can help support and monitor the UK’s decarbonisation targets. Dubbed LaunchUK Nanosat, it’s aimed at younger people (16+) – the “next generation of British space scientists” – to design a nanosatellite. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was at Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall when he announced the contest during ...

A £210 million investment by the government and IBM to establish the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI), based at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Daresbury Laboratory in the Liverpool City Region, will create vacancies for 60 scientists and opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in quantum computing and AI. Industrial applications of quantum computing include optimising ...

New regulations to be put in place by the UK government should officially pave the way for commercial space launches from UK soil, from spaceports in Scotland, Wales and England. The government has tabled legislation – The Space Industry Regulations – that it believes will “help propel the development of commercial spaceflight technologies”, from traditional rockets to high-altitude balloons and ...