‘Most powerful rocket ever’: SpaceX’s Starship cleared for launch April 16, 2023 A super rocket that Elon Musk hopes will one day carry people to Mars and the moon has been cleared for its first orbital launch. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted SpaceX a licence to launch the super heavy-lift launch vehicle, comprised of a rocket, dubbed Super Heavy, and spacecraft, dubbed Starship, into orbit [...]
Aerospace firm Velocity’s shares take off as it enters US market with $100m deal December 20, 2022 UK aerospace manufacturer Velocity has grabbed the attention of investors, after announcing its entry into the US market via a $100m (£82.2m) deal. Shares in the London-listed firm rocketed more than 70 per cent to 46p per share by early afternoon on Tuesday. The five-year deal with GKN Aerospace is expected to bring in $100m [...]
Crash landing in sea: British space firm’s Iceland rocket launch ends in failure October 13, 2022 A British space company’s attempted rocket launch off the coast of Iceland ended in failure, with the projectile travelling just 500 metres before crashing into the sea. Rival to Elon Musk’s SpaceX firm, Skyrora held an unannounced launch of its Suborbital Skylark L rocket today, ahead of a full UK launch from next year. The [...]
BAE Systems muscles in on satellite space with defence cluster September 7, 2022 British aerospace and defence giant BAE Systems is set to unveil a satellite cluster later today. The cluster, made up of four satellites, will be focused on earth observation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and be rented out to businesses and allied governments alike. Much like the smartphone, the satellites will be able to download different [...]
‘Did you hear that?’ Astronomers stunned by strange but persistent ‘heartbeat’ from far-off galaxy July 13, 2022 A strange and persistent radio signal from a far-off galaxy that appears to be flashing in a pattern similar to a heartbeat has been detected by astronomers. It has been classified as a fast radio burst (FRB) – an intensely strong burst of radio waves of unknown astrophysical origin that typically lasts for a few [...]
Lifting off from the Highlands: Scotland to be launchpad for Europe’s first-ever microlauncher rocket May 11, 2022 Europe’s very first microlauncher rocket will be launched in Scotland. Lifting off from Space Hub Sutherland, in the Highlands, the Prime orbital space rocket has been unveiled by Orbex, a spaceflight company. The firm will now press ahead with testing, allowing “dress rehearsals” of rocket launches and the development of launch procedures. Orbex recently revealed [...]
Lockheed Martin dives into Satellite Vu’s £20m funding round March 2, 2022 Lockheed Martin has dived into a £20m funding round for Seraphim Space-backed Satellite Vu, as the US aerospace giant looks to plant a new space base in the UK. The London-based satellite firm, which uses infrared imaging and data to observe the Earth from space, has caught the eye of Lockheed in hopes of luring [...]
Wiltshire take off: Nuclear fusion firm reveals it has launched UK’s first chemical rocket in Salisbury November 22, 2021 A newly developed high-power chemical rocket was launched in the heart of Wiltshire, UK nuclear fusion firm Pulsar Fusion has revealed. The Bletchley-based company launched the rocket from the Ministry of Defence’s military base in Salisbury and took place on November 17. The firm shared with City A.M. today that the launch contained the first [...]
UK Space Agency renews efforts to tackle ‘neglected’ space debris October 26, 2021 The UK Space Agency has renewed its efforts to tackle the “neglected” issue of space debris, amid concerns it could damage satellites and impact SatNav use. Space debris and orbital congestion is one of the largest issues in the global space sector, as it could cost launching companies millions in damaged satellites. With seven space [...]
Orbex unveils world’s most carbon neutral space rocket ahead of COP26 October 21, 2021 Space technology firm Orbex has unveiled what is thought to be the world’s most ‘environmentally friendly’ rocket. The Scottish firm’s space rocket, known as Prime, will emit be up to 96 per cent less emissions than comparable space launch programmes, according to a new study by Exeter University. The rocket uses a renewable, ‘ultra-low-carbon’ fuel, and [...]