The UK, in collaboration with Spain and Portugal, is set to contribute £3 million to fund the development of a groundbreaking spacecraft aimed at monitoring the climate crisis and natural disasters. This initiative is part of the €80 million (£70 million) Atlantic Constellation project, with co-funding from Open Cosmos, located on the Harwell campus in Oxfordshire.
The pathfinder satellite, announced on the opening day of the UK Space Conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland, aims to be a crucial component in Earth observation. It will be part of a larger group of satellites designed to provide valuable and regularly updated data to detect, monitor, and mitigate the risks associated with natural disasters.
Andrew Griffith, a minister in the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, emphasized the vital role of earth observation in addressing global challenges like climate change and disaster relief. He noted that the satellite project would not only support these global efforts but also benefit key UK industries such as agriculture and energy.
The announcement follows the recent commitment by Tim Peake, the last British astronaut to go into space, to lead the UK’s first astronaut mission. Four British astronauts are slated to go to space in a mission organized by Axiom Space, an American company, in a deal with the UK Space Agency. The mission, expected to cost £200 million, will not require a contribution from the British taxpayer.
While discussing the mission on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Peake highlighted the significance of the UK being at the forefront of exploring commercial opportunities in the space sector. He acknowledged the hurdles to overcome, including securing the financial model, crew selection and training, and obtaining approval from NASA for the mission, including identifying a slot for the International Space Station.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
