UK now seen as ‘toxic’ for satellite launches, MPs told

theguardian.com:

Britain’s failed attempt to send satellites into orbit was a “disaster” and MPs are being urged to redirect funding to hospitals, with the country now seen as “toxic” for future launches.

Senior figures at the Welsh company Space Forge, which lost a satellite when Virgin Orbit’s Start Me Up mission failed to reach orbit, said a “seismic change” was needed for the UK to be appealing for space missions.

Lengthy delays by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as well as the launch failure, had left Space Forge six months behind its competition in the race to be the first company to bring a satellite back down to Earth, when it had been six months ahead, the science and technology committee heard.

Patrick McCall, a non-executive director at Space Forge, said: “The CAA is taking a different approach to risk, and a bit to process and timing as well. But I think unless there is, without wanting to be too dramatic, a seismic change in that approach, the UK is not going to be competitive from a launch perspective.

“I think the conclusion I’ve reached is right now it’s not a good use of money, because our regulatory framework is not competitive.”

He added that the UK ought to consider spending the money it was investing in launch capability on other areas, such as hospitals.

Joshua Western, the company’s chief executive, described the portal for applications and email correspondence taking up to six weeks, suggesting there was a lack of engagement with UK authorities.

He compared this with Portugal, where he said someone from the government or from the regulator was in contact on more or less a weekly basis.

“Quite frankly it costs us more to license our satellite for launch than it did to launch it,” Western told the committee.

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