By 2018, the UK Government intends to make a British Spaceport operational. Commercial space flights will take off and land at an affordable starting at L 58,000 each passenger. For example, flights to Australia will take only 2 hours with state-of the-art spacecraft. After publishing the results of its consultation on spaceports, the UK Space Agency stated that it supports commercial spaceflight. According to the Agency, the UK will soon have the European first spaceport. The UK Space Agency stated that Britain’s government has given “widespread support” and is on its way to becoming the world’s leader in spaceflight operations. Data source: UK Space Agency. Last year, the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), made a list of possible locations for spaceports. The list was recently updated to include six potential sites: Newquay in England. 2. Llanbedr, Wales 3. Stornoway in Scotland, Glasgow Prestwick, and Campbeltown. 4. RAF Leuchars, Scotland. A temporary facility. For operational and defence reasons, two RAF (Royal Air Force), airfields – Lossiemouth Barracks and Kinloss Barracks – have been ruled out. The UK Space Agency stated that other locations are still possible to submit, provided they comply with the requirements. Before the decision on the site for Britain’s spaceport will be made, there are many factors that must be considered. According to the Agency, protecting the public from harm and inconvenience is the Agency’s number one priority. The spaceport will allow private citizens to fly into space. According to the Government, the spaceport will be located near the coast in order for urban areas as well as the public to avoid potential disasters from rockets. According to the Government, “The Government acknowledges that development near the coast will have particular impacts on the environment. We shall take these into consideration as we prepare the specification.” Robert Goodwill, the Aviation Minister said, “I want Britain and the United Kingdom to be the leader in commercial spaceflight.” The establishment of a spaceport will make sure we remain at the forefront in this new technology. This is a great endorsement of the UK’s space innovation and growth strategy. It will be a huge boost to our position as a global leader in this fascinating arena. The Government’s space innovation and growth strategy was launched to 2030, last year. This highlighted the potential commercial benefits of the UK becoming the European center for spaceflight pioneers as well as scientific R&D.
