Author Archive: bulletineditor

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Hurdles still to overcome for in-orbit servicing industry

Hurdles still to overcome for in-orbit servicing industry

The space industry is full of acronyms, but TRL or ‘technology readiness level’ is one that we hear often for many new and emerging markets. As a measure of the availability and status of the technology required for an operation, it gives an indication of how close to ‘lift-off’ is the said technology. In-orbit services […]

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Brexit impacts satellites and space programmes from 2021

Brexit impacts satellites and space programmes from 2021

With the UK having left Europe, the Government has updated its information on the EU space programmes in which the UK participates. The new advice relates to the European satellite navigation programmes (Galileo and European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service EGNOS), the Copernicus Earth observation space programme, and the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EUSST) programme. […]

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Delay for ExoMars as second mission is postponed to 2022

Delay for ExoMars as second mission is postponed to 2022

ESA and Roscosmos have delayed the second ExoMars mission to the Red Planet, citing a lack of time to complete the necessary tests on the spacecraft components. In the frame of a dedicated meeting, ESA and Roscosmos heads Jan Wörner and Dmitry Rogozin agreed that further tests to the spacecraft with the final hardware and […]

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Space funding in Budget, but the figures are vague

Space funding in Budget, but the figures are vague

Some £900m was promised in the Budget for investment to support UK businesses in developing future technologies, and space is certainly included within that. The National Space Strategy and a new space innovation fund will receive money from that £900m, but exactly how much was not specified. Space is just one area in the mix, […]

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Legal support for enterprises in the private space sector

Legal support for enterprises in the private space sector

The United Nations’ Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), through its consensus process, has accomplished much over the decades, most notably helping to produce the five space treaties and related guiding principles. But it has been unable to produce the international framework of laws to regulate private activity in outer space. As […]

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More to come in start-up space after record year

More to come in start-up space after record year

Three significant trends are shaping the start-up space environment as we enter the 2020s. First, investors continue to pour large amounts of capital into start-up space ventures, shattering previous records as increasing numbers of investors fund more recipients. Second, years into start-up space investment, many ventures still have yet to demonstrate profitability and sustainability, creating […]

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Industrial impacts of funding in UK space through ESA SSP

Industrial impacts of funding in UK space through ESA SSP

The mandatory ESA Space Science Programme (SSP) is designed first and foremost to undertake frontier scientific research concerning the Solar System, our Sun and the Universe beyond. At the same time, the programme is charged with stimulating competitive industrial capability. Through a combination of direct and competitive procurement, UK industry regularly secures major ESA contracts […]

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Space sector recognised at the top table of Government

Space sector recognised at the top table of Government

The UK Space Agency is working hard across Government to develop a new and comprehensive space strategy and also to establish a National Space Council. This will ensure that space is properly considered at the top table of Government; space is already being taken seriously within Westminster and has more support now than ever. This was the […]

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Raytheon hosts its first UK space mission to the USA

Raytheon hosts its first UK space mission to the USA

Raytheon, in collaboration with the UK Department for International Trade, has welcomed more than two dozen British businesses to a UK Space Supplier Conference in Los Angeles, California. The conference created opportunities for small and medium-sized British businesses to enter the fast-moving and dynamic space sector. “In 2016 and 2017, this sector contributed £14.8 billion […]

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Vision to create 15,100 new ‘green jobs’ in UK space sector

Vision to create 15,100 new ‘green jobs’ in UK space sector

The UK space sector, the jewel in our industrial crown, is at a crossroads. Brexit has presented hurdles, as well as potential opportunities for the sector. While the sector does well at selling overseas, the global market is becoming more competitive. As a result, there is mounting pressure on the UK space sector to maintain […]

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