To many space seems a distant concept but it affects our daily lives much more than you would expect.
From televisions to mobile phones, GPRS to weather forecasting, satellite technology is pervasive in our personal lives. We rely on the technology in space is assist us in many aspects of our daily routines and the UK has a big part to play.
With the value of the space sector in the UK growing from £6.5bn in 2007 to £11.8bn in 2014 and directly employing 37,000, space has an important role to play in the UK economy. The UK punches above its weight in global influence and aims to capture 10% of the global space economy by 2030.
But not only does space technology enable personal use it also has a role to play in supporting national security and tackling major world challenges. Satellites provide an international communications network for British forces, enable coordination of emergency services and provide earth observation data for disaster monitoring. Space is as influential on the public sector as it is on private lives.
As well as UK companies developing 40% of the world’s small satellites and having a 20% share in the global telecoms satellite market, the UK plays a part – and takes the lead on – European space programmes. Through government contributions to the European Space Agency (ESA) the UK contributes to new commercial and scientific missions including:
- new ‘Quantum’ small and flexible geostationary satellites
- development and testing of the Exo-Mars rover
- Gaia mission to create 3D map of the milky way
So while space may seem very far away, its influence on our lives and role in society at large is closer than you might think.
