The UK is investing millions to make its own satellite system
After Brexit, Britain could be cut off from the EU’s space technologies.
The news: According to the Telegraph, the UK’s Prime Minister Theresa May has ordered work to begin on a satellite network that would match the European Union’s Galileo project. Reportedly, 100 million pounds is being allocated to “map out” plans for the UK’s new system. An official government announcement is expected in the coming week.
Some background: Galileo, which works more precisely than previous services GPS services, became available for public use in 2016 and will be completed in 2020. The European Commission has said the UK’s use of and involvement in Galileo could be a threat to security.
Why it matters: Replicating a huge project like this takes an unbelievable amount of time and money, and is essentially a duplication of decades’ worth of work. Reuters reports that building a complete new system could cost 3 billion pounds.
Deep Dive
Space
The search for extraterrestrial life is targeting Jupiter’s icy moon Europa
NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will travel to one of Jupiter's largest moons to look for evidence of conditions that could support life.
How scientists are using quantum squeezing to push the limits of their sensors
Fuzziness may rule the quantum realm, but it can be manipulated to our advantage.
The first-ever mission to pull a dead rocket out of space has just begun
Astroscale’s ADRAS-J spacecraft will inspect a dead Japanese rocket in orbit—a major moment in space-junk removal.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.