(ORDO NEWS) — On Monday, final preparations were made for the first rocket launch from UK soil.
A converted Boeing 747 with a 21-meter rocket containing nine satellites will take off from the Cornwall launch site tomorrow.
The rocket will separate from the aircraft at an altitude of 10 kilometers above the Atlantic Ocean south of Ireland, and then launch the satellites. The plane will return to Cornwall Spaceport.
This will be the first launch from the UK. British-made satellites previously had to be sent into orbit from foreign spaceports.
The satellites that are planned to be launched into orbit will perform a variety of civil and defense functions, from monitoring the sea to observing space weather.
Despite the fact that the launch was scheduled for Monday evening, due to adverse weather conditions, it may be delayed or rescheduled for reserve dates.
In recent years, the number of space bases in Europe has grown due to the commercialization of space. Most European spaceport projects are currently private sector initiatives.
About 18,500 small satellites weighing less than 500 kilograms are expected to be launched between 2022 and 2031, up from 4,600 in the previous decade.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), however, criticized the launch.
“Space is the new frontier for military escalation and spending without real public oversight or accountability,” said CND Secretary General Kate Hudson.
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