Ministers lay groundwork for lift-off to British space flights

Funding boost: £10 million will be invested in developing spaceports and launch-vehicle technology in Britain

NASA

Nicholas Cecil, Political Editor @nicholascecil

9 February 2017

Ministers today sought to give the lift-off to commercial space flights from Britain.

Science minister Jo Johnson announced grants of up to £10 million to start developing spaceports and launch-vehicle technology in the UK.

A draft Space Flight Bill will be published within weeks to regulate the industry and it is hoped that a spaceport could be operating in Britain by 2020, with satellite launches expected to be the first missions.

Space tourism journeys and other ventures are likely to follow.

Mr Johnson, the MP for Orpington, said: “We want to see the UK space sector flourish, that is why we are laying the groundwork needed for business to be able to access this lucrative global market.”

Possible spaceport locations include Newquay airport, Cornwall; Llanbedr airport in Snowdonia; Prestwick airport, near Glasgow; the RAF base at Leuchars near St Andrews; Stornoway airport on the Isle of Lewis and Campbeltown airport, in Scotland.

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