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The Government wants the UK to control 10 percent of the global space market by 2030. Spaceport Cornwall, Britain’s first spaceport, could conduct its first launch next year whilst there are plans for vertical launch rocket sites in Scotland.

UKspace, which represents the British space industry, is calling for more investment to maximise potential.

The industry body has launched a campaign, aimed at Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, urging them to “invest to unleash the transformative potential of the space sector”.

A Government Comprehensive Spending Review will be published later this autumn.

Writing for Politics Home, Nick Shave, UKspace chair, pointed out growth in the British space industry has slowed since the coronavirus pandemic began.

While it grew by 2.8 percent in the year to 2018/19, it only managed 0.8 percent in 2019/20.

Mr Shave wrote: “If we do not invest in the space industry at the level needed to unleash its potential then we can expect growth to slow further.

“This would prevent us from moving forward while other nations make great leaps forward, spelling disaster for the UK’s international standing in the highly strategic space sector.

“It would also prevent the Prime Minister from making real progress on meeting his priorities here in the UK.”

Spaceport Cornwall, based at Newquay airport, is partnering with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit to launch satellites into space.

A modified Boeing 747, named Cosmic Girl, will take off from the airport with a rocket under its wing.

Once the aircraft is out to sea, the rocket and its cargo of small satellites will be launched into space.

Mr Shave argued space technology will be crucial to Britain’s battle against climate change as the UK has pledged to cut emissions by 78 percent for 2035, compared to 1990 levels.

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He wrote: “Only by investing in space will the UK enable the journey to net zero and drive towards other top priorities.

“Space-based technologies and space-derived information are central to climate knowledge, science, monitoring and early warning.

“Indeed, 35 of the 45 essential climate variables as defined by the heads of the UN Climate Change Committee are only able to be measured from space.

“The UK’s space industry is already equipping policymakers with tools to help monitor and improve the environment as never before, but much more needs to be done to enable the 2050 goal to be met.”

According to a UKspace report published last year, the British space sector could create another 15,000 green jobs by 2030.

Speaking to Express.co.uk in August, Melissa Thorpe, head of Spaceport Cornwall, argued the next couple of years will be crucial for the UK space industry.

She said: “We have a decreasing window of opportunity to secure that [small satellite] market, hence why we’re putting quite a bit of pressure on the Government to get these regulations going through so that we can get to launching.

“I think we do have a year, maybe two years, to really secure that launch market here in the UK.

“Other spaceports are popping up all over the world, the growth of commercial spaceports is booming because small satellites are booming and people want better access to space.”

Sites at Sutherland, the Western Isles and the Shetlands are under consideration for the UK’s first vertical launch rocket site.
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