The successful applicants Telespazio VEGA UK Ltd, Deimos Space UK Ltd, Heliaq UK Ltd and Inmarsat Global Ltd will use the funding to develop a business plan and initial concept of operations to offer range services from the UK on a commercial basis.

The 2018 Space Industry Act enables companies to use cutting edge technology while also safeguarding public safety. Range control services are vital to this and include activities such as tracking rockets and spaceplanes in flight, as well as notifying users of airspace when launches are taking place.

Organisations submitted grant applications to undertake studies into range control services and the successful companies were awarded grants on their ability to meet robust selection criteria.

Claire Barcham, UK Space Agency’s Director of Commercial Space said:

Public safety is at the heart of our efforts to enable spaceflight from the UK, and range services are an essential part of this work.

The commercial provision of range services presents a new opportunity for businesses and, through the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, the UK Space Agency is advancing these exciting developments.

As part of its work to ensure the safety of spaceflight, the UK Space Agency today published a report from the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), outlining a potential method of calculating risk in the area around the launch site and spaceflight path to ensure public safety. HSL provides health and safety expert advice to government and industry in the UK and internationally.

• Telespazio VEGA UK Ltd, together with its partner organisations QinetiQ Ltd, GTD sistemas de información SAU and Commercial Space Technologies Ltd have been awarded £165,166 to develop a Commercial Range Control Service to support multiple UK Launch Sites, Launch Systems and Service Operators, with the potential to also address the global launch export market.
• Deimos Space UK Ltd, together with its partners Orbital Express Launch Ltd, UK Launch Services Ltd, Qinetiq Ltd, Helios Ltd and Heliaq Ltd have been awarded £131,901 of funding to study the provision of a low-cost commercial range to cover vertical spaceflight from the A’Mhoine spaceport in Sutherland.
• Heliaq UK Ltd, together with its partners Spaceport Cornwall, UK Launch Services Limited, Deimos, Reutech Radar Systems and Alden Advisers have been awarded £56,576 to develop a business plan and initial concept of operations for commercial range control services in support of orbital space launches from Spaceport Cornwall. The project will analyse applicable UK regulations, vehicle trajectories, and other inputs in order to derive top-level requirements for the range control services.
• Inmarsat Global Ltd, together with its partner organisation Deimos UK Limited, has been awarded £63,328 to conduct a feasibility study and business case assessment to investigate providing a bespoke satellite communications (satcom) service for launch providers with a satcom terminal integrated on the launch vehicle itself.

The message is clear to motorists – if you don’t tax your vehicle on time, DVLA will take action: tax it or lose it.

The 11 areas of the UK have been targeted where vehicle tax evasion is highest (based on the number of enforcement actions that took place in 2018).

The advertising campaign focuses on the consequences of not taxing your vehicle – from financial penalties to court action to clamping and finally the loss of a car.

A giant clamp at the centre of the campaign image reflects the fact that DVLA take enforcement action against untaxed vehicles on streets across the country and it will happen to you if you don’t tax your vehicle on time.

DVLA Head of Enforcement Tim Burton said:

This campaign has a clear message for anyone who flouts the law in this way – tax it or lose it.

It’s never been easier to tax your car, so there really is no excuse. We would rather not have to clamp or remove vehicles, but this campaign highlights the consequences of not taxing a vehicle. Having your vehicle clamped is expensive and inconvenient – and you could end up losing your car.

Motorists can go online, 24 hours a day, to tax a vehicle or check whether their vehicle tax is up to date. You can even check by asking Amazon Alexa or Google Home – all you need is your vehicle registration.