Sure, they’re a part of the European Space Agency (ESA). And, yes, they spend £270 million on space-related programs each year. But the British have traditionally largey neglected space flight, especially manned flight. That’s about to change.

Britain is getting a space agency.
Think about this: the first British citizen to fly in space was Helen Sharman, [...]

Everybody’s getting into the act. Now, to mark the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, British cheese makers hope to send some cheddar to the edge of space.
Okay, so the astronauts didn’t find that the moon was made of cheese. That didn’t discourage Philip Crawford, chairman of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers group. He [...]

Amazing private space companies
Looking at various private space companies, only a handful of the new-ish ones have delivered anything impressive. Some are already doing great things: SpaceX, Orbital Sciences, Scaled Composites.
Intriguing companies
Others are intriguing, but haven’t done much…yet. Think: Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, Bigelow Aerospace.
Add to the intriguing list: Reaction Engines LTD.
This British company is [...]

Okay, they only went about 30 miles up—not really space. And they were stuffed animals sent up on a rocket built by students. But the world’s first first ursinauts really looked great up there!
Launched from Churchill College in Cambridge, a flight this monday took two teddy bears 100,000 feet up and photographed them in front [...]