Why Britain’s space industry should be celebrated

The attempted launch of a rocket via a Boeing 747 from Spaceport Cornwall – the first such attempt in Europe – was not a giant leap so much as a giant plunge. While the plane took off and landed successfully, the rocket released from beneath its wing at 35,000 feet crashed and burned, taking with it the nine satellites it was supposed to launch into orbit.

It is easy to imagine Vladimir Putin chortling at the news that Britain has failed to do something the USSR managed 66 years ago. Satellite launches have become routine, with 14,000 put into space since the Soviet Union’s first Sputnik in 1957. Yet this week’s disaster should not be allowed to detract from what is otherwise a highly successful UK space industry. While Britain has yet to launch a satellite, it is a world leader in designing and manufacturing them, and this less visible aspect of the space industry should be celebrated.

UK companies are also involved in the development of equipment on the James Webb telescope, now delivering the most advanced images from outer space, and a roving vehicle which it is hoped will be exploring the surface of Mars in a Nasa mission later this decade. The launch of a rocket attracts crowds, especially when Richard Branson’s PR machine is involved, but few are even aware of the 47,000 people who work directly for Britain’s space industry or the many more involved in the supply chain. What’s more, it is a fast-growing business, with revenues up 50 per cent to £17 billion in the past decade.

All this is to be admired. It is a sign that Britain is finally leaving behind its tendency to invent things and then stand back as other companies develop them and make the profits.