UK to splash another £1.4bn on protecting non-existent 'national interests in space'

The UK government is to spend an extra £1.4bn on space defence on top of the £5bn allocated to upgrade the Skynet satellite communication system. The Defence Space Strategy, intended to "bolster our national interests in space," according to the UK's Ministry of Defence, was accompanied by a speech from Chief of the Air Staff …

[Anonymous Coward]

Home Sec

Is Priti Patel still on Viasat's books? Asking for a friend.

[Joe W]

"Interest in something"

translation: wanting to make money with something

represent somebody's interest = make money with somebody else's work / ideas

advocacy group / interest group = make sure the money stays within a circle of... friends...

(found it in a book by... Jean Effel, I think)

[NoneSuch]

UK Space Race

We just need a v2.0 of this classic UK heavy lift launcher.

https://youtu.be/pJdrlWR-yFM

[phy445]

Re: UK Space Race

I thought you might have been linking to this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb0ooQKbflM

[mjflory]

Re: UK Space Race

Meanwhile, a little farther west... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfz9O_mSY1U

[Strahd Ivarius]

Re: UK Space Race

What about these specialists?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLiH4xrCITI

[ShadowSystems]

How about this...

Grab a politician, fling them into space, sprang them off the desired satelite, and send them both zipping off into the Sun.

If we ever run out of satelites that need smacking, start in on clearing the ever smaller bits of space debris.

Once the debris has been cleared, aim for all those "killer asteroids" or other heavenly bodies that threaten the planet.

We'll rid ourselves of politicians, clear the skies, and give proper sacraficial offerings to the Sun God, Carl. He's getting grumpy that nobody pays Him any attention. This would be a nice way to show Him that we still care.

=-)p

[Roland6]

UK niche?

>"Russia and China have tested anti-satellite weapons creating debris fields that will linger for decades," warned Wigston, adding: "Russian satellites continually make close approaches to other satellites, what we call rendezvous and proximity operations, possibly an indication of espionage activity, or possibly rehearsing something much more sinister."

...

Strangely, Wigston did not mention the anti-satellite activities carried out by India or the United States.

Someone is going to have to clean up that mess...

[Anonymous Coward]

R.U.R?

> It was not immediately clear what else the £1.4bn will be spent on.

> scant attention was paid to actually getting the spacecraft into orbit.

Refurbed USSR Rockets?

[Jimmy2Cows]

Re: R.U.R?

No chance. SLS has already snaffled those for America's money pit pork barrel home-grown launcher.

[Kane]

Perhaps somebody in the MoD has been spending a bit too much time with Tolkien

Could be worse, could be VALIS

[amanfromMars 1]

Holy Grail Territory is Only Honestly Available to the Truly Worthy

We’ve been here before, El Reg [26th/27th July 2017], outing Mars and Minerva on strange space missions which are most certainly in at least the national interest of any government party no matter what part of the globe they exercise and enjoy/engage and employ relatively exclusive administrative rights presuming all manner of elite privileges ...........https://forums.theregister.com/forum/1/2017/07/26/rsa_asia_2017_ai_ml/

And you would not believe what more has been done and how much farther and deeper and higher matters have travelled in those subsequent 4.5 years.