Virgin Orbit’s: How the UK’s Spaceport Sector Could Still Shine Brightly in the Future
The UK’s space sector has shown a remarkable dynamism in the past few years. According to the latest official figures, the sector’s revenue grew about 5.1% in 2021, outpacing the global space industry. This is even more impressive considering the UK’s economy declined over the same period. And...
Cornwall space launch: why the environmental cost of rocket launches is large even when they fail
A recent UK mission to launch satellites into space from Spaceport Cornwall in the west of England failed to deliver the satellites to orbit. But the rocket, LauncherOne, succeeded in releasing hazardous pollutants to the middle and upper layers of the atmosphere where many will remain for years....
What is dark matter is made of? Arrakhis aims to find out
Arrakhis: the tiny satellite aiming to reveal what dark matter is made of The European Space Agency (Esa) recently announced a new mission of its science programme: a small telescope orbiting the Earth dubbed Arrakhis. But although its name is inspired by the sci-fi novel Dune, it will not...