UK must be 'science superpower': New Minister advocates domestically-made satellites

A British Minister has said that the UK must become a “science superpower” with rockets built in the country, launching British-built satellites, handling a range of activities such as delivering pizza. UK’s new science minister George Freeman told Sky News that he wished to put the days of Britain as a “science leader but innovation laggard” behind. He reportedly argued UK consumers are now ready to embrace new products such as gene-edited meat that would further enhance animal welfare and combat climate crisis.

Additionally, on Saturday, Freeman will be announcing £440,000 of new funding from the UK Space Agency to research astronaut health., as per the report. The research would determine how the body of an astronaut including bones, muscles, and eyesight of astronaut begin to deteriorate just after a few days in space. The study would also be important for sending astronauts on a long space mission to Moon and Mars. Just last month, the missions that the UK wishes to participate in were launched under its new National Space Strategy. 

As per the report, the government has invested nearly half a billion pounds into the country’s space industry in 2021 under the recently rolled out National Space Strategy. The new strategy is designed in order to help the £16billion sector compete with those in the US, China and Europe. Freeman told Sky News, “The Americans are chucking huge money at this. The Chinese are chucking huge money at it. The Russians have got their own programme.”

‘Russia or the Chinese or bad actors…’

Freeman noted that investing in the country’s space industry and collaborating with the allies such as Europe would contribute to increasing Britain’s strategic influence across the globe. He told the outlet, “There are a lot of nations - Japan, Australia, the Philippines, who want to be secure in space, and don't want to be vulnerable to Russia or the Chinese or bad actors.”

"They want to be part of a network, a Commonwealth, if you like, of space scientists and businesses that are operating at the highest values. And I think that's a big opportunity for the UK,” he added.

IMAGE: PTI