Posted
3/22/2010 06:58:00 PM
by Douglas
Her Majesty's Royal space port now deemed
significant.The nation has been alone among the major industrialised nations in not having an executive body to direct its activities beyond the Earth's surface.
The new organisation is expected to take control of the money spent on space by government departments and science funding agencies.
It will also represent the UK in all its dealings with international partners.
Britain currently puts about £270m a year into civil space endeavours, most of it via the UK's membership of the European Space Agency (Esa).
This is not expected to change dramatically with the creation of an executive agency, especially with the government committed to cutting the public deficit.
The hope, however, is that the reorganisation will bring more coherence to space policy, enabling the available monies to be spent more effectively.
Wait, what?!? England is going to cut their deficit, spend MORE money on their space program, yet they want to commit
more to space exploration. Gee, where have I heard that before? Now it's clear England doesn't have any clue where it wants to go with it's [non-existent] space program, either. Where's the British Lapdog Tony Blair, telling the world that the American's are always right when you need him?