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BFF-04
SCOTLAND-BRITAIN-SPACE-POLITICS
Scotland chosen as site for first British space port
LONDON, July 16, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The UK Space agency said Sunday that it
had chosen a peninsula on Scotland’s north coast as the site of the country’s
first space port.
“Scotland is the best place in the UK to reach in-demand satellite orbits
with vertically launched rockets,” the agency said in a statement.
According to the head of the agency, Graham Turnock, the new space port
will “help kick-start an exciting new era for the UK space industry”.
The choice of Sutherland for the new space port confirms Scotland’s
ambitions in the sector. According to industry experts, Glasgow is the city,
outside of the United States, which produces the most satellites,
specialising in small devices which can be used for weather forecasts, like
GPS systems.
The UK is seeking to develop its own space industry after its role in
European space projects was called into question by Brexit.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0820 hrs