Britain leaves European rivals trailing in the space race

Britain is second only to the US in the modern space race – despite its Virgin Orbit setback earlier this year. 

The UK has secured 17 per cent of private investment in space since 2015, making it the leading destination in Europe, according to a report from the Space Agency and auditor PwC. The only country to attract more investment in space projects is the US. 

With earth observation, manufacturing and satellites the key areas of investment in the UK, the report reckons that private investors have pumped as much as £7billion into the UK in the last eight years alone.

The UK space industry is worth an estimated £17.5billion, with analysts projecting the global space sector could grow by as much as 11 per cent…