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Spaceport Cornwall, located in Newquay, England, is quickly becoming a major player in the global space industry. The facility, which officially opened in 2018, is designed to launch small satellites into orbit and serve as a base for suborbital spaceflights. It’s the first horizontal launch spaceport in the UK, and it’s capable of launching satellites to orbit using a reusable rocket system.
One of the key players in the development of Spaceport Cornwall is Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson’s spaceflight company. Virgin Galactic has signed a deal with the spaceport to use it as a base for its suborbital spaceflights, which will take paying customers on brief trips to the edge of space.
The partnership between Spaceport Cornwall and Virgin Galactic is a sign of the growing interest in space travel and exploration in the UK. It’s also a sign of the country’s ambition to become a major player in the global space industry. The UK government has invested heavily in the development of Spaceport Cornwall, and it’s clear that they see the potential for growth in the sector.
Spaceport Cornwall is not only important for the UK but also for Europe, it could become a hub of satellite launches on the continent, it means a reduction of dependency on other countries, reduction on cost and a significant increase on efficiency.
Virgin Galactic is also preparing to begin operational flights in 2022, after a successful test flight in December 2020, when its spacecraft, VSS Unity, successfully reached space for the first time.
With the first attempt of the first ever satellite mission launching on UK soil ending in failure, due to yet to be determined technical reasons.
One thing that the world can know is that the UK has officially joined the space race.
The rise of Spaceport Cornwall and Virgin Galactic in the UK space race is a thrilling development for fans of space travel and for the people of Cornwall, who will benefit from the economic opportunities that come with having a spaceport in their area.
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