UK invests $25 million in orbital rocket, seeking to unlock satellite launch capability
LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday announced a 20 million pound ($24.84 million) investment in space company Orbex to help build an orbital rocket, used to put satellites into orbit, and launch it later this year from a site in northern Scotland.
The rocket, Prime, is set to take off from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands in late 2025. That would make it the first ever British-built and British-launched orbital rocket, the government said.
Britain has long sought to establish launch capabilities for its space sector, which employs about 52,000 people and manufactures more satellites than any location outside the United States.
Technology secretary Peter Kyle said the Orbex launch would "turbocharge" Britain's position in the industry, making it a leading destination for small satellite launches in Europe. Orbex has previously raised funding from private investors.
The government said that capturing just 2% of the European demand for satellites, which it said was forecast to be worth $50 billion up to 2033, could bring around $1 billion in revenues for the British economy.
Earlier this month, the government gave German firm Rocket Factory Augsburg the go-ahead to launch satellites into orbit from the same site in Scotland.
Britain's space industry ambitions faced a major setback in January 2023 when a horizontal rocket launch from Newquay, located in south-west England, failed.
($1 = 0.8052 pounds)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'I worked in fish and chip shops for years - one thing I would never order'
We may be spoilt for choice with the number of chip shops in the UK, but what really goes on behind the counter? One chippy worker has now shared all, including item he would never order Most Brits love a Friday night treat from the local chippy - keeping the tradition of our 'national dish', fish and chips, alive. Whether you're craving scampi or a battered sausage, there's no shortage of choice, with over 10,000 specialist shops across the UK. But while we're quick to tuck in, few of us know what really goes on behind the fryer. Jordan Luxford does. After five years working across various fish and chip shops, he picked up all the tricks of the trade while giving us a warning about what he would never order. Now running A-Star Waste Management in Sussex, Jordan has shared the secrets he learned from life behind the counter. Offering some insight into the frying process, Jordan divulged: "Most people wouldn't know that after we cook battered products in our oil, we would follow it with a batch of chips." According to Jordan, this helps get rid of the tiny batter fragments that linger even after sieving. Regarding the diversity of cooking in those bubbly pots, the former Wimbledon chef revealed that it's fair game, from traditional cod and haddock to confectioneries like chocolate bars. But having been on the frontline, there are certain items Jordan avoids at all costs now. "I would never order a fried beef burger! If you want a decent burger, get it from a shop with a hot plate to cook it on." He told the Express. While this tends to be common knowledge because, who really goes to a chippy to order a beef burger? Well, at least if you have previously - you may change your mind now. "If you want a freshly cooked item go for something that isn't in the glass top under the lights but we would cook anything fresh if a customer asked anyway." But there is a special treat, customers tend to love Jordan explains "Fried chocolate bars have always been popular too. We would usually cook them for free alongside an order and as we wouldn't have the chocolate bars in stock, the customer would be asked to bring them with them and we would cook them at the same time as the rest of their order." Cooking methods aside, there are other aspects of life behind the scenes of British chippies that fans of the beloved takeaway trade may find surprising. According to Jordan, a significant amount of effort goes into preparing the menu items that dominate fish and chip shops, especially the fries. The business owner explained: "The amount of preparation time needed to get everything ready before opening was a huge surprise! It takes hours to cut a Friday night's fish and even more hours to peel, inspect and cut 20 bags of potatoes. Prep for a Friday night, opening at 5.30 pm would start at 10 am." A meal that we scoff down in 20 minutes takes hours just to prep. With this revealed, we may start to appreciate the chip shop staff more
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The average price of a pint rises AGAIN across UK – how much more are Scots paying?
Scots will have to cough up more than a hangover for a trip to the pub as prices increase again. OH BEER The average price of a pint rises AGAIN across UK – how much more are Scots paying? A TRIP to the pub will cost Scots more than a just hangover as punters are being forced to cough up more than ever. The average price of a pint has now soared to £5.17 across the UK, leaving a bitter taste in punters' mouths. 1 Pint of beer next to a map of the UK highlighting a region. In February we reported how Scotland saw the biggest percentage price increase across the whole of Britain. Now it has gone up again with the cost increasing by 34p compared to figures reported by the Office for National Statistics at the start of the year. Beer prices have risen sharply as manufacturers and pubs grapple with higher alcohol taxes, soaring utility bills and increased staffing costs. Trade magazine The Morning Advertiser regularly examines the average cost of a pint across London, the Midlands, the North East, the North West, the South East, the South West, Scotland, and Wales. According to its latest research, London tops the list for the priciest pints, with pub owners charging an average of £6.10. On the more affordable end of the scale, Tennent's and Carlsberg emerged as the cheapest options, with drinkers paying an average of £4.23 per pint across England, Wales, and Scotland. UK pub numbers have now plunged by more than 2,000 since the start of 2020. A number of breweries are facing trouble too, including the Fourpure brewing company which appointed administrators in October and the Magic Rock Brewery which said it would bring in administrators at the start of the year. Meanwhile, Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) said in November it would stop making eight classic British cask beers following a review. A number of pubs also warned they would have to hike prices for customers this year after the Government's Autumn Budget. Stunning beer prices at Miami GP revealed as F1 fans face staggering cost for drinks, steak sandwiches and pizza Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the national minimum wage both rose in April. But businesses cautioned this would force them into upping the price of drinks as they try and absorb the extra costs.
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Could London be the next city to introduce a tourist tax?
In many European cities, paying a tourist tax is nothing new. If anything, it's expected. From Paris to Barcelona to Amsterdam, the majority of our favourite hotspots come with an extra fee, whether we pay it at our accommodation or the airport. Its purpose is simple: to provide the city with money for things like general upkeep, sustainability initiatives, and an increased demand on public services. And as many places grapple with the effects of overtourism, taxes are increasing, and new ones are being introduced. For example, Venice doubled its tax for daytrippers earlier this year, while the Azores implemented one on January 1. Recently, there's been talk of London joining the club. Last month, the Centre for London released a report called Arts for All, urging the Greater London Authority to 'explore the implementation of a tourist tax' to help invest in the capital's arts and cultural scene. Last year, Mayor Sadiq Khan voiced his potential support, too. In October, he told The Standard he'd be 'happy to look into' whether a tax for overnight stays would be feasible. But, while the arts do need funding – the report says that physical engagement with arts and culture in London sits below or close to the national average – what would a potential tourist tax mean for the wider community, including daytrippers from the UK? 'Tourists are going to be more accepting of the tax if they can understand where it is being spent,' explains travel expert, Deepak Shukla, CEO of Pearl Lemon Adventures, a London-based travel and tourism company, to find out. Essentially, if the money tourists pay goes towards upgrading infrastructure and transportation, as well as financing and upgrading major attractions, we might all get on board with it. There's no denying London feels the effects of overtourism. Visitor numbers to the UK are on the up: VisitBritain estimates that there were 41.2 million visits to the UK for the full year 202, 1% up on 2019, with most of them heading to the capital. London has also been described as the 'Wild West' of Airbnbs. In Westminster in particular, councillors said more than 10,500 homes were used as holiday lets, and residents claim that one mansion block close to Hyde Park hosts more guests per night than The Ritz. With rent prices in the capital already eye-wateringly high, short-term lets only serve to make living in the city even more expensive. London also has the most congested roads in Europe, with analysis by analytics company Inrix finding drivers in the capital spent 101 hours sitting in traffic in 2024. Though there is some merit to the idea, Shukla adds that a tourist tax is 'not without its problems.' He says that the success of a tax depends on various factors, with the volume of tourism being a big consideration. Currently, around 30 million tourists flock to London every year. Should the same number still come with a tourist tax, it will ensure a steady flow of income. However, if the tax deters tourists, it could lead to fewer visits and less income than expected. Another concern is London's competitiveness compared to other global locations. Currently, Spanish cities like Madrid and Valencia (which boast better weather than the UK) don't have a tourist tax. Neither do up-and-coming European city break destinations like Helsinki or Tallinn. 'If an additional expense like tourist tax is imposed, travellers may opt to visit places that do not have these costs, impacting London's tourism sector,' states Shulka. Similarly, Mayor Sadiq Khan noted that the money raised would need to be strictly monitored. If it were spent elsewhere, with people not seeing the benefits locally or regionally, it wouldn't be fair. He said: 'It's really important to give that reassurance to the [tourism] sector, because they've had a tough few years, particularly post-pandemic. 'If we can reassure the [tourism] sector that we can work on a scheme that benefits inward tourism, it benefits more tourists to come, I think they'd be supportive of it as well.' Officials estimate that a levy could raise significant amounts of cash for local services and the tourism industry. For example, should the UK follow in the footsteps of Paris, which charges visitors up to €16 per night in premium hotels, or Barcelona, which adds up to €4 a night plus a regional fee, an extra £240 million could be generated annually. This is on the basis of adding a 5% tax to overnight stays, according to Euro Weekly. In short, no. English local authorities can't introduce their own tourist taxes,it needs to go through Parliament instead. Legislation to Parliament would have to be introduced for this to happen. However, some UK local authority areas, including Manchester and Liverpool, have established Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) which cover tourism-related businesses. These are legal loopholes, and are operated by local organisations, meaning they can collect levies in their areas. 'If London were to impose a tourist tax, it would probably be similar to the charge on overnight stays currently implemented in places like Manchester,' says Shulka. So even though an overnight fee could be charged, day visitors are unlikely to be affected. Like we mentioned earlier, to prevent overtourism, cities like Venice have imposed fees for day visitors. But in London's case, Shulka says the main motivation would likely be different, specifically generating funds to improve tourism infrastructure upgrades and city services. Shulka adds: 'I think one of the reasons why day-trippers don't typically pay a tourist tax is that they spend only a few hours in the city and therefore use fewer public resources compared to overnight visitors.' Since they don't stay in paid accommodation, they aren't charged through the usual channels. Finally, for day-trippers to be affected, Shulka states that policies targeting them would need to be implemented. This includes things like tourist passes, access fees or visitor registrations. Over on Reddit, there's a huge discussion about the idea of a tourist tax, and as you would expect, the reviews are mixed. More Trending Many Londoners are for a tax, making the point that they have to pay it in other European cities, so why not here? 'Some visitors are surprised when they find out they don't owe tourist tax,' one person adds. 'Yes please. And then ring fence that money to go back into benefiting the local economy. Some new trains for the Bakerloo Line would be nice! Or some new cycle lanes,' another says. A Barcelona resident was also positive about a London tax: 'As a tourist, I wouldn't mind that extra fee.' They continued, saying that their Spanish city has it, and 'regardless of the real use of the money that it generates, it's not a barrier for tourists.' Another tourist agrees: 'I would pay it gladly every time I visit London (and I try to do it a couple of times a year at least). Others were a little more sceptical, saying they would support it if they could guarantee that the money would benefit Londoners. However, some were straight up against it, citing that hotels are 'already overpriced', so 'the answer isn't to drive them further away.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Man unleashes smoke grenades and sledgehammer in raid on Mayfair hotel MORE: Heaven nightclub bouncer cleared of rape charge MORE: British flight attendant 'in tears' in court accused of smuggling 46kg of drugs
