Brits have, for many years, taken a back seat in the Space Race, but that could soon change. An all-UK team of astronauts could soon be heading into orbit, as a result of a deal signed by the UK Space Agency and Axiom Space, an American company that organises visits to the International Space Station (ISS). If the mission gets off the ground – and that does remain a big ‘if’ – it will remove a stain that has marked Britain since the 1950s when we ceded our space ambitions to America.
In the early days of the Space Race, there were three competing powers: the Soviets, the US and Britain. But the UK – despite successfully developing its own orbital launch capability, a rocket named Black Arrow – effectively fell out of the race before it really took off. The last Black Arrow rocket is collecting dust in the Science Museum in South Kensington, a monument to what might have been.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in