UK to be first country to launch satellites into orbit from Europe

The first ever orbital satellite launch from the UK is to happen soon, marking a new era in the UK’s space history.

The first launch will take place from Spaceport Cornwall in the southwest of England and will be what is known as a ‘horizontal launch’, the UK Space Agency confirmed on Wednesday, October 5. 

A specially modified Boeing 747 from Virgin Orbit called Cosmic Girl, with a rocket attached under its wing, will take off from a runway. In flight, the LauncherOne rocket will launch from the wing, taking multiple small satellites into orbit.

The plane will then return to the Spaceport, able to launch more satellites in future.

Spaceport Cornwall is situated at Newquay Airport, near the coast of Cornwall and the 747 will fly out over the sea and launch its rocket far away from populated areas.

The UK has a growing space sector, which employs 47,000 people.

UK space companies have a strong track record in satellite manufacturing, spacecraft design and data applications. In fact, Glasgow builds more satellites than anywhere outside the United States.

The UK is also located relatively far north, which means it’s perfect for launching satellites into polar and Sun-synchronous orbits, which go over the north and south poles. These orbits are ideal for satellites that monitor the Earth and provide telecommunications.

With a long coastline and many islands, the UK offers a range of suitable locations for launching rockets safely out over the sea away from settlements and people.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article, do remember to come back and check The Euro Weekly News website for all your up-to-date local and international news stories and remember, you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.