The lure of commercial riches in space is spurring a variety of plans to help launch all the components necessary for a fully functioning orbital economy.
The latest to enter this private-sector race is the U.K., which announced Monday that it plans to construct the nation's first commercial vertical launch spaceport in northern Scotland. Lockheed Martin Corp. was awarded $31 million for two U.K. projects: Establishing vertical launch operations in Sutherland and a development program slated for Reading to deploy a new "delivery vehicle" to deploy as many as six small satellites.
Is it the second coming of the Space Race?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Snotnose on Tuesday July 17 2018, @11:35PM (8 children)
A) Nowhere near the equator
B) There is no british space enterprise to support
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 4, Informative) by takyon on Tuesday July 17 2018, @11:42PM (2 children)
https://www.ukspace.org [ukspace.org]
https://www.economist.com/britain/2018/05/03/britains-space-industry-brexits-final-frontier [economist.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by legont on Wednesday July 18 2018, @01:08AM (1 child)
And let's not forget - Raspberry Pi's. I want one in space for $30.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by Snow on Wednesday July 18 2018, @01:56AM
That would be pretty amazing since a baked raspberry pie costs almost as much to get on my table.
(Score: 3, Funny) by c0lo on Wednesday July 18 2018, @12:12AM
Scotland?
I think they can even improve on the placement and find some island closer to the North Pole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Wednesday July 18 2018, @12:54AM (3 children)
People don't know this, Russia is far from our Equator. But they have a spaceport. And they rent one in Borat's country -- also pretty far from Equator -- and they've done tremendously well with those. They've always been the best in space. Not just for Russia business. For their military. For our space station. And for other folks' business.
(Score: 3, Informative) by legont on Wednesday July 18 2018, @01:18AM (2 children)
Actually, Russians have two spaceports. That's in addition to the former Russian Baiconur where it all began. Also, Kazakhstan where Baiconur is, is a member of Eurasian Union which is basically EU of the former Soviet Republics - no borders no taxes..
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 18 2018, @10:56AM (1 child)
... and, looking at the list of member states, no democracy either.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 18 2018, @06:02PM
Democracy with uninformed voters is just as bad as kleptocracy.