Brits sign Axiom Space deal for human spaceflight in name of science

The UK Space Agency and Axiom Space are signing an agreement to send more Brits into space on a commercially sponsored mission. Tim Peake tries his spacesuit on for size Coming to a Crew Dragon quite a long way from you? The mission, which has the enthusiastic backing of the European Space Agency, will see UK astronauts …

[Doctor Syntax]

AFAICS this is an agreement for a flight to be sponsored by commercial partners who are not only as yet unannounced but might not even have volunteered and with no announced objectives to be achieved in orbit. What is the point apart from PR the cost of which might very likely fall on UK taxpayers?

[Vulch]

The general idea is the sponsors will decide the objectives and nominate someone to fill the seat and do the relevant research. Alternatively someone like Richard Garriott might decide he wants another trip up to the station and pay for a seat.

[Doctor Syntax]

What sponsors?

Who's going to sign up before the next election so HMG can wave the flag?

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

I thought we had a law banning UK public-funded manned spaceflight ?

[Andy The Hat]

"Jaunt"

Helen Sharman did only a few days in space but I'm not sure I would even consider such condescending words about Tim Peake when he spent 185 days in space including spacewalks, which by my calculation is almost exactly 185 days (give or take some jumping up and down and roller-coaster rides) more weightlessness than the vast majority of humans could ever hope to experience ...

Unless of course the inference is that all ISS missions are just "having a jolly"?

[imanidiot]

Re: "Jaunt"

That's just El Reg using El Reg language.