[ad_1]
Britain hopes that its space dreams will not be slowed down by the expected departure of the country from the European Union (EU), although this decision is likely to have a negative impact on the European Union. 39; economy.
Despite the current political turmoil, revenues in the UK space sector have risen from £ 13.7 billion to £ 14.8 billion ($ 17.4 billion to $ 18.8 billion) since 2016, the largest in the world. year of the referendum on Brexit, according to the British Space Agency. A recent report of the industry predicts that the positive trend will continue regardless of the still uncertain outcome of the Brexit negotiations. Revenues, employment and exports should all continue to grow.
"EU-funded programs account for only 2.5% of the total revenues of the British space sector," a spokesman for the British Space Agency told Space.com. "Beyond Europe, we promote international cooperation through agreements and joint projects."
Related: Britain leaves the EU, but will it be forced to leave EU space programs?
The spokesman said that regardless of the conditions under which the UK leaves the EU, the country would continue to be a member of the European Space Agency (ESA), independent of the EU. 39; EU.
"The UK's membership in ESA will not be affected by the fact that the UK will leave the EU," the spokesman said. "We continue to invest approximately 300 million pounds sterling ($ 389 million) each year in ESA research and development programs, with a focus on commercialization and market opportunities. growth."
This investment makes the UK one of the biggest contributors to the ESA budget. Through his membership in ESA, the country could see a British astronaut Tim Peake fly again to the International Space Station and represent Europe, despite the Brexit. The country will also continue to participate in pioneering projects under the banner of ESA.
Leading European aerospace manufacturer, Airbus, which has facilities in several European countries, is however concerned about the current stalemate at Brexit. The departure agreement negotiated by soon-be-former Prime Minister Theresa May has failed to secure the support of parliament. In the two months following the initial Brexit date, little progress has been made and the trade agreements that will be put in place between the UK and the EU after Brexit are unclear. In the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom has benefited from access to the single market of the European Economic Area.
"At the moment, we continue to plan" no deal "because that's the only way for any responsible company to plan," Airbus UK spokesman Jeremy Close told Space.com . "We continue to work with suppliers and partners to store parts, prepare our customs and regulatory systems and mitigate impacts wherever possible."
Airbus employs around 3,500 people in its British space division, which has built equipment for some of ESA's most prestigious missions, including the comet hunter. Rosetta the Rover ExoMars – which should be launched next year – and the Mercury Explorer BepiColombo.
The main point of contention between the EU and the United Kingdom in the space sector was the participation of the UK after Brexit in Galilee, The European satellite navigation system put into operation in 2016. The network is operated and built under the direction of the ESA, but is owned and funded and funded by the EU, which has British companies banned from continuing development work at Galileo because of security issues. Last December, the UK withdrew from negotiations on its future access to the encrypted high-security component of the Galileo service, meant to be reserved for EU member states, their government agencies, armed forces and emergency services. The United Kingdom has been actively involved in the development of Galileo. For example, the satellites in the constellation were manufactured in the UK by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. The country is now considering building its own navigation constellation, giving up its $ 1.2 billion ($ 1.5 billion) investment in Galileo.
"The conditions that the European Commission is ready to propose to the United Kingdom's participation in Galileo are well below the minimum we would consider acceptable," said the spokesman for the British Space Agency. "The government has already committed £ 92 million [$117 million] develop options for a global satellite navigation system in the UK and work is progressing well. "The details of the new system have not yet been revealed.
The spokesman said that the United Kingdom hoped to continue to participate in the European Earth Observation Program Copernicus, which provides scientists with state of the art data, as well as information about the planet. to private and public users.
The UK has an ambitious vision for its space sector. Government officials said that ideally, by 2030, the country would control 10% of the global space economy and that it was hoping to see the early 2020s see launch micro-pitchers small satellites in orbit from British soil, serving mainly European manufacturers of small satellites. .
follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link
