With the increasing visibility of private space companies, the safe arrival of the Perseverance rover on Mars, and renewed interest in space exploration, it seems like space is now solidly back in the public imagination.

We traditionally associate space innovation with the US, China and Russia, but the UK is at the forefront of the new space economy, with 5.1% share of the global space market and plans to capture 10% by 2030.

In this episode I speak to Melissa Thorpe, Interim Head of Spaceport Cornwall, about the next phase of space innovation, how horizontal launch capabilities are being built here in the UK, and the economic and technological opportunities this will provide.

(Spaceport Cornwall is the horizontal space launch site at Cornwall Airport Newquay, in South West England. Spaceport Cornwall is a partnership between Cornwall Council, commercial launch operator Virgin Orbit and Goonhilly Earth Station. The consortium will deliver small satellite launch into lower Earth Orbit, for the first time ever from the UK by 2022.)

Links from the Show

Find out more about Spaceport Cornwall

About The Brave

Find out more at https://shows.acast.com/the-brave

Follow The Brave on Twitter @TheBraveListen

Join our newsletter here

Contact on hello@bethanvincent.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.