Weekly UK Space Roundup 16th July 2020
This week promised to be an historic one, with three scheduled launches for this window for Mars. We also finally have some good news for UK companies from ESA's Copernicus missions. Welsh launch company SmallSpark also populating the news this week. Getting the ball rolling this week:
UK Space Agency with ESA encourages 5G Logistics ideas
The UK Space Agency has partnered up with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, alongside the European Space Agency to announce a campaign for businesses to gain support for ideas that mobilise both assets in space, and 5G to improve logistics support for businesses and operations within Europe and the United Kingdom.
Catherine Mealing-Jones, Director of Growth at the UK Space Agency, said:
We’ve seen through the current pandemic, that logistics are vital to keeping the country going and space technology is a key part of making that happen.
SmallSpark Teams Up with Leaf Space
Wales' premier launch company SmallSpark has grown their leadership team by inviting Andy Carroll onto the team (see our full article), a manufacturing expert from Airbus, and agreed a key partnership with Leaf Space, a ground station specialist (that short article is here). The move increases the opportunity for the systems to integrate more closely and efficiently as the Frost series of Rockets moves forward in development towards putting payload into Low Earth Orbit.
Two UK Companies Benefit from Supplying Sensors and Components to ESA Copernicus Missions
Teledyne e2v secured a lucrative contract to supply imaging components this week. Matched alongside the Telespazio VEGA UK success, winning the contract to enhance quality assurance for the Csatellitesopernicus demonstrates the UK's resilience in providing World-class service into the space industry despite the political challenges posed by the UKs 'Brexit' from the EU.
Skyrora Declared Engine Testing Facility Open
The Scottish engine testing facility is expected to create 170 jobs this decade within the engineering sphere.
Also in the news: NASA Solar Probe returns images, and NEOWISE becomes a household name
Whilst not strictly UK Space News, the talk of the town on Thursday this week was on NASA's Solar Orbiter probe, and closer to home the entire Northern hemisphere, including the UK was treated to the best naked eye view of the commet NEOWISE.
Our jobs pick of the week:
Oxford Space Systems are advertising for a Business Development Manager. This could be a wonderful opportunity, and whilst they have ceased hiring apprentices until 2021, it is expected that this should restart with a bang under the government's new incentive scheme.
Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to catch all of the recruiting opportunities that we find particularly exciting here in the UK.
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Thanks for checking in, and until next time remember that every Giant Leap is set up by thousands of small steps.