UK plan to launch rival to EU sat-nav system.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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Would be beyond ironic, but not altogether surprising with Boris’s track record if we find ourselves in a hi tech joint venture with the Chinese!
Back to languages- I’ve done 2 stints in The Netherlands over the years, both in English speaking work environments. Picked up enough to get the gist of what people are talking about (sometimes to their embarrassment as they didn’t realise how much I understood. However by the time of the second stint we had produced CP junior. He was 5 when we got there, so we put him in the local Dutch school rather than send him to the British School. His teachers were very good, and after 4 months or so he was fluent with no trace of an English accent. We came back when he was 8, and a year later when Dutch friends visited he could still speak Dutch but was, they told me, no longer thinking in Dutch as his sentence construction had changed to indicate he was translating from English as he went along. 12 years later he claims to remember none of it, though I do sometimes threaten to drop him in a non English speaking part of the country so he could see how quickly it came back. I suspect a couple of weeks if people refused to speak English to him!
Back to languages- I’ve done 2 stints in The Netherlands over the years, both in English speaking work environments. Picked up enough to get the gist of what people are talking about (sometimes to their embarrassment as they didn’t realise how much I understood. However by the time of the second stint we had produced CP junior. He was 5 when we got there, so we put him in the local Dutch school rather than send him to the British School. His teachers were very good, and after 4 months or so he was fluent with no trace of an English accent. We came back when he was 8, and a year later when Dutch friends visited he could still speak Dutch but was, they told me, no longer thinking in Dutch as his sentence construction had changed to indicate he was translating from English as he went along. 12 years later he claims to remember none of it, though I do sometimes threaten to drop him in a non English speaking part of the country so he could see how quickly it came back. I suspect a couple of weeks if people refused to speak English to him!
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Curious PAX
My cousin was a skipper in the Merchant navy, firstly in UK then Europe, on Blue Water ie long haul container ships. His wife is Swedish, and they live in Germany. When their children arrived, a Dutch nanny was employed, and the kids grew up using Dutch/ German / English/ Swedish as a sort of alphabet soup. When they were small they would start a conversation in say English, and then if they did not know an English word they would borrow a German/ Swedish / Dutch one to fit. Made for some bazaar conversations. They are all grown up now but are still multilingual though the Dutch is a might rusty I think, but the language skills have definitely helped in their careers, and indeed outlook on life.
Cheers
Mr Mac
My cousin was a skipper in the Merchant navy, firstly in UK then Europe, on Blue Water ie long haul container ships. His wife is Swedish, and they live in Germany. When their children arrived, a Dutch nanny was employed, and the kids grew up using Dutch/ German / English/ Swedish as a sort of alphabet soup. When they were small they would start a conversation in say English, and then if they did not know an English word they would borrow a German/ Swedish / Dutch one to fit. Made for some bazaar conversations. They are all grown up now but are still multilingual though the Dutch is a might rusty I think, but the language skills have definitely helped in their careers, and indeed outlook on life.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Mr Mac
I think you'll probably agree that if you speak English and German then reading and comprehending Dutch is not that difficult. However speaking it, or trying to understand what is being said I find very difficult, verging upon impossible. I did think that if as a result of the lockdown I had too much free time on my hands I'd have a crack at distance learning Dutch, just to see if i could get to grips with it orally. Sadly, or happily I wound up working harder than I was before lockdown as a result of somewhat fortuitous circumstances, but it's an idea I will keep on the back burner.
Cheer, ATN
I think you'll probably agree that if you speak English and German then reading and comprehending Dutch is not that difficult. However speaking it, or trying to understand what is being said I find very difficult, verging upon impossible. I did think that if as a result of the lockdown I had too much free time on my hands I'd have a crack at distance learning Dutch, just to see if i could get to grips with it orally. Sadly, or happily I wound up working harder than I was before lockdown as a result of somewhat fortuitous circumstances, but it's an idea I will keep on the back burner.
Cheer, ATN
Many job advertisements in Belgium and Holland specify a requirement for fluency in Dutch, French, German and English, or simply "quadrilingual". Speaking only three languages would put you at a significant disadvantage in the employment market.
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“Way beyond ironic if we found ourselves in a joint venture with the Chinese...”. Yes: heaven forbid we should invest a large amount of money and intellectual capital to a project then find ourselves excluded from it!
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Mr Mac
I think you'll probably agree that if you speak English and German then reading and comprehending Dutch is not that difficult. However speaking it, or trying to understand what is being said I find very difficult, verging upon impossible. I did think that if as a result of the lockdown I had too much free time on my hands I'd have a crack at distance learning Dutch, just to see if i could get to grips with it orally. Sadly, or happily I wound up working harder than I was before lockdown as a result of somewhat fortuitous circumstances, but it's an idea I will keep on the back burner.
Cheer, ATN
I think you'll probably agree that if you speak English and German then reading and comprehending Dutch is not that difficult. However speaking it, or trying to understand what is being said I find very difficult, verging upon impossible. I did think that if as a result of the lockdown I had too much free time on my hands I'd have a crack at distance learning Dutch, just to see if i could get to grips with it orally. Sadly, or happily I wound up working harder than I was before lockdown as a result of somewhat fortuitous circumstances, but it's an idea I will keep on the back burner.
Cheer, ATN
The Dutch word or phrase I never seem to here is "its my round".
Cheers
Mr Mac
Sally Ann[QUOTE]
Perhaps Boris could ask Huawei to get it working for him.[/QUOTE
We do have a 'home grown' expert with a lot of experience in launching low cost satellites, including one that is still working while well over 20 years old. Boris could do a lot worse than call in Professor Sir Martin Sweeting of Surrey Satellite Communications - his track record is extremely good...
Perhaps Boris could ask Huawei to get it working for him.[/QUOTE
We do have a 'home grown' expert with a lot of experience in launching low cost satellites, including one that is still working while well over 20 years old. Boris could do a lot worse than call in Professor Sir Martin Sweeting of Surrey Satellite Communications - his track record is extremely good...
You know at this stage in our lament about Uk's inability to manage space "stuff", and our supposed expertise on this I'm going to shout "Black Arrow"...(which my late father worked on as a sub-sub-subcontractor) and ask if the UK has really progressed at all in it's understanding of spaceflight at all in the last 50 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow
You know at this stage in our lament about Uk's inability to manage space "stuff", and our supposed expertise on this I'm going to shout "Black Arrow"...(which my late father worked on as a sub-sub-subcontractor) and ask if the UK has really progressed at all in it's understanding of spaceflight at all in the last 50 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Arrow
Not to mention (so I will) our pioneering of nuclear power generation. We let our expertise lapse and now have to buy in from abroad.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
The UK actually does have a world class and thriving satellite industry - we just pay someone else for delivery, as does/did OneWeb.
Delivery rates from companies such as SpaceX are remarkably cheap, and falling, with other companies joining the market.
Delivery rates from companies such as SpaceX are remarkably cheap, and falling, with other companies joining the market.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
UK consortium offer accepted.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/3/21...-million-space
UK government takes $500 million stake in space exploration firm OneWeb
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53279783
https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/3/21...-million-space
UK government takes $500 million stake in space exploration firm OneWeb
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53279783
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Further bad news, but at least we now have a stake in a bankrupt company.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/scienc...nment-53251942
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/scienc...nment-53251942
"We are talking about the biggest Earth observation project in our history. When you look at what it's achieved - to not be involved would be idiotic," he told BBC News."This is not something the UK can replicate on its own. The amount of money, time and expertise means something like Copernicus can only be done across countries and to not be at the heart of it would be a huge mistake."
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/c...ish-spaceports
New Agreement Enables Use Of U.S. Launchers From British Spaceports
Lomdon and Washington have signed off on security arrangements that will pave the way for U.S. cubesat and small-satellite launchers to be lofted into low Earth orbit from UK spaceports.
Two years in the making, the Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), signed in Washington on June 17, permits U.S. companies to operate from UK spaceports and eases the export of space launch technology between the two countries. While it is not unusual for one country to want to launch satellites from another, transferring the launch systems is wrapped in complexity—due in part to counterproliferation rules such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), to which the UK and U.S. are both signatories.
“Space launch vehicles are technically indistinguishable from weapon delivery systems, so transferring a space launch vehicle from one country to another is caught by the MTCR,” Andrew Kuh, head of international spaceflight policy at the UK Space Agency, tells Aviation Week. Kuh has been closely involved in the negotiations. “The TSA sets out how the U.S. and UK governments will work together to ensure that technology is not transferred . . . [and] making sure it is handled in an appropriate manner,” Kuh adds........
One of the clear beneficiaries of the TSA is Lockheed Martin, which secured £31 million ($39 million) in funding from the UK Space Agency in July 2018 to set up launch operations from Space Hub Sutherland in northern Scotland with U.S.-developed launchers. Company officials had previously suggested they could use the Electron launcher, leaning on their partnership with Rocket Lab. The agreements also smooths the way for Virgin Orbit, which received funding to support horizontal launch operations from Cornwall Airport Newquay in England.......
Before launches begin, however, the TSA needs to be ratified by the British Parliament. Lawmakers also must approve the UK’s new Spaceflight Regulations, which are expected to move to a public consultation phase this summer. The regulations will build on the UK’s regulatory framework for aviation and will confirm how licenses will be granted for spaceports, launch vehicle operators, and for the provision of range and control services.
While U.S. launch companies may undertake the first launches from the UK, several British satellite launch companies such as Orbex and Skyrora are waiting in the wings to join them. Skyrora recently carried out a full static firing of its Skylark L suborbital rocket, work that supports the development of its three-stage Skyrora XL launcher.
Canada-based launch company C6 Launch Systems Inc. has said it wants to use the planned Shetland Space Center, a vertical launch site planned for Saxa Vord in the Shetland Islands. The company told Aviation Week that it does not expect any export restrictions for its launch vehicle, although the UK/U.S. TSA will help with the export of the engines.
The UK is seen as an attractive launch location for access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.......
Britain wants to be able to launch satellites as part of its strategy to grow the country's domestic space industry and capture 10% of the global commercial space market by 2030, equivalent to around £40 billion.
New Agreement Enables Use Of U.S. Launchers From British Spaceports
Lomdon and Washington have signed off on security arrangements that will pave the way for U.S. cubesat and small-satellite launchers to be lofted into low Earth orbit from UK spaceports.
Two years in the making, the Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), signed in Washington on June 17, permits U.S. companies to operate from UK spaceports and eases the export of space launch technology between the two countries. While it is not unusual for one country to want to launch satellites from another, transferring the launch systems is wrapped in complexity—due in part to counterproliferation rules such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), to which the UK and U.S. are both signatories.
“Space launch vehicles are technically indistinguishable from weapon delivery systems, so transferring a space launch vehicle from one country to another is caught by the MTCR,” Andrew Kuh, head of international spaceflight policy at the UK Space Agency, tells Aviation Week. Kuh has been closely involved in the negotiations. “The TSA sets out how the U.S. and UK governments will work together to ensure that technology is not transferred . . . [and] making sure it is handled in an appropriate manner,” Kuh adds........
One of the clear beneficiaries of the TSA is Lockheed Martin, which secured £31 million ($39 million) in funding from the UK Space Agency in July 2018 to set up launch operations from Space Hub Sutherland in northern Scotland with U.S.-developed launchers. Company officials had previously suggested they could use the Electron launcher, leaning on their partnership with Rocket Lab. The agreements also smooths the way for Virgin Orbit, which received funding to support horizontal launch operations from Cornwall Airport Newquay in England.......
Before launches begin, however, the TSA needs to be ratified by the British Parliament. Lawmakers also must approve the UK’s new Spaceflight Regulations, which are expected to move to a public consultation phase this summer. The regulations will build on the UK’s regulatory framework for aviation and will confirm how licenses will be granted for spaceports, launch vehicle operators, and for the provision of range and control services.
While U.S. launch companies may undertake the first launches from the UK, several British satellite launch companies such as Orbex and Skyrora are waiting in the wings to join them. Skyrora recently carried out a full static firing of its Skylark L suborbital rocket, work that supports the development of its three-stage Skyrora XL launcher.
Canada-based launch company C6 Launch Systems Inc. has said it wants to use the planned Shetland Space Center, a vertical launch site planned for Saxa Vord in the Shetland Islands. The company told Aviation Week that it does not expect any export restrictions for its launch vehicle, although the UK/U.S. TSA will help with the export of the engines.
The UK is seen as an attractive launch location for access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.......
Britain wants to be able to launch satellites as part of its strategy to grow the country's domestic space industry and capture 10% of the global commercial space market by 2030, equivalent to around £40 billion.
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https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/c...ish-spaceports
New Agreement Enables Use Of U.S. Launchers From British Spaceports
Lomdon and Washington have signed off on security arrangements that will pave the way for U.S. cubesat and small-satellite launchers to be lofted into low Earth orbit from UK spaceports.
Two years in the making, the Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), signed in Washington on June 17, permits U.S. companies to operate from UK spaceports and eases the export of space launch technology between the two countries. While it is not unusual for one country to want to launch satellites from another, transferring the launch systems is wrapped in complexity—due in part to counterproliferation rules such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), to which the UK and U.S. are both signatories.
“Space launch vehicles are technically indistinguishable from weapon delivery systems, so transferring a space launch vehicle from one country to another is caught by the MTCR,” Andrew Kuh, head of international spaceflight policy at the UK Space Agency, tells Aviation Week. Kuh has been closely involved in the negotiations. “The TSA sets out how the U.S. and UK governments will work together to ensure that technology is not transferred . . . [and] making sure it is handled in an appropriate manner,” Kuh adds........
One of the clear beneficiaries of the TSA is Lockheed Martin, which secured £31 million ($39 million) in funding from the UK Space Agency in July 2018 to set up launch operations from Space Hub Sutherland in northern Scotland with U.S.-developed launchers. Company officials had previously suggested they could use the Electron launcher, leaning on their partnership with Rocket Lab. The agreements also smooths the way for Virgin Orbit, which received funding to support horizontal launch operations from Cornwall Airport Newquay in England.......
Before launches begin, however, the TSA needs to be ratified by the British Parliament. Lawmakers also must approve the UK’s new Spaceflight Regulations, which are expected to move to a public consultation phase this summer. The regulations will build on the UK’s regulatory framework for aviation and will confirm how licenses will be granted for spaceports, launch vehicle operators, and for the provision of range and control services.
While U.S. launch companies may undertake the first launches from the UK, several British satellite launch companies such as Orbex and Skyrora are waiting in the wings to join them. Skyrora recently carried out a full static firing of its Skylark L suborbital rocket, work that supports the development of its three-stage Skyrora XL launcher.
Canada-based launch company C6 Launch Systems Inc. has said it wants to use the planned Shetland Space Center, a vertical launch site planned for Saxa Vord in the Shetland Islands. The company told Aviation Week that it does not expect any export restrictions for its launch vehicle, although the UK/U.S. TSA will help with the export of the engines.
The UK is seen as an attractive launch location for access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.......
Britain wants to be able to launch satellites as part of its strategy to grow the country's domestic space industry and capture 10% of the global commercial space market by 2030, equivalent to around £40 billion.
New Agreement Enables Use Of U.S. Launchers From British Spaceports
Lomdon and Washington have signed off on security arrangements that will pave the way for U.S. cubesat and small-satellite launchers to be lofted into low Earth orbit from UK spaceports.
Two years in the making, the Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), signed in Washington on June 17, permits U.S. companies to operate from UK spaceports and eases the export of space launch technology between the two countries. While it is not unusual for one country to want to launch satellites from another, transferring the launch systems is wrapped in complexity—due in part to counterproliferation rules such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), to which the UK and U.S. are both signatories.
“Space launch vehicles are technically indistinguishable from weapon delivery systems, so transferring a space launch vehicle from one country to another is caught by the MTCR,” Andrew Kuh, head of international spaceflight policy at the UK Space Agency, tells Aviation Week. Kuh has been closely involved in the negotiations. “The TSA sets out how the U.S. and UK governments will work together to ensure that technology is not transferred . . . [and] making sure it is handled in an appropriate manner,” Kuh adds........
One of the clear beneficiaries of the TSA is Lockheed Martin, which secured £31 million ($39 million) in funding from the UK Space Agency in July 2018 to set up launch operations from Space Hub Sutherland in northern Scotland with U.S.-developed launchers. Company officials had previously suggested they could use the Electron launcher, leaning on their partnership with Rocket Lab. The agreements also smooths the way for Virgin Orbit, which received funding to support horizontal launch operations from Cornwall Airport Newquay in England.......
Before launches begin, however, the TSA needs to be ratified by the British Parliament. Lawmakers also must approve the UK’s new Spaceflight Regulations, which are expected to move to a public consultation phase this summer. The regulations will build on the UK’s regulatory framework for aviation and will confirm how licenses will be granted for spaceports, launch vehicle operators, and for the provision of range and control services.
While U.S. launch companies may undertake the first launches from the UK, several British satellite launch companies such as Orbex and Skyrora are waiting in the wings to join them. Skyrora recently carried out a full static firing of its Skylark L suborbital rocket, work that supports the development of its three-stage Skyrora XL launcher.
Canada-based launch company C6 Launch Systems Inc. has said it wants to use the planned Shetland Space Center, a vertical launch site planned for Saxa Vord in the Shetland Islands. The company told Aviation Week that it does not expect any export restrictions for its launch vehicle, although the UK/U.S. TSA will help with the export of the engines.
The UK is seen as an attractive launch location for access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.......
Britain wants to be able to launch satellites as part of its strategy to grow the country's domestic space industry and capture 10% of the global commercial space market by 2030, equivalent to around £40 billion.
I hope this comes about, it would be a great booster (sorry!) for our space industry.
But I wonder why a Canadian company would want to come to Scotland to launch satellites when there are existing facilities on their side of the pond.
But I wonder why a Canadian company would want to come to Scotland to launch satellites when there are existing facilities on their side of the pond.
Saxa Vord was the first ever place I went on detached duty. My lasting memory of the place is that it is as windy as hell. The wind never ever stops blowing there, it just varies a bit. The whole radar head got blown off the hill years before I went there, with the wind having reached a record speed before breaking the anemometer. Not sure it's exactly an ideal location for a launch facility, as apart from the near-constant high winds it's pretty far north, and I thought that one of the reasons for siting launch facilities near the equator was to reduce the amount of fuel needed to get into orbit.