Defence Online

Scottish ‘pint-sized’ satellites launched into orbit

Homeland November 30, 2018

Two ‘first of a kind’ 5kg satellites built in Glasgow and funded by the UK Space Agency have been launched from India. The satellites, which were designed and built by Spire Global, are unique due to their function, tiny size, low cost and quick build time. This style of satellite could revolutionise work ...

Space Odyssey: Preserving UK security post-Brexit

Homeland September 26, 2018

As much of the country braces for Brexit, the UK government has unveiled a £92 million investment package to develop a state-of-the-art alternative to the European Union’s Galileo satellite system.  The investment package, which comes courtesy of the £3 billion Brexit readiness fund announced last year, is to be rolled out over the coming months.  Satellite navigation systems like GPS have a myriad military and commercial applications, from shepherding aircraft, ships and emergency ...

British built laser spacecraft launched into orbit

Air August 23, 2018

A British-built satellite equipped with a 3.4-Kilowatt laser, as powerful as 840 lightbulbs, has been launched into space. Flying at 200 miles above the surface of the Earth, the powerful laser on the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Aeolus spacecraft will beam down into the atmosphere and measure wind speeds. This represents a ...

First UK spaceport to launch in Sutherland, Scotland

Air July 19, 2018

Britain’s first ever vertical launch spaceport is to be sited at Sutherland in Scotland, the UK Space Agency has announced. Business Secretary Greg Clark will also make available a brand new fund worth £2 million to boost horizontal spaceport development across the country. The move is a clear endorsement of commercial ...