Two satellites built in Glasgow are set to be launched into space as part of a project to monitor climate-change.
The satellites, created by Spire Global, will blast off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, taking flight into space on entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket.
SpaceX has gained worldwide attention for a series of historic milestones. In 2012 their Dragon spacecraft became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to and from the International Space Station, and in 2020, SpaceX became the first private company to take humans there as well.
The £9m project was funded by the UK Space Agency through the European Space Agency’s Pioneer Partnership Programme and will develop optical intersatellite links while in space.
UK Government Minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart, said: “These two Glasgow-built satellites demonstrate how space technology can help us better understand the environment and tackle climate change. It’s fantastic to see Scotland’s space sector playing a vital role as we build back greener from the pandemic.
“The UK’s thriving space industry is creating highly-skilled jobs and inspiring a new generation of scientists. Scotland is central to the UK Government’s ambitions to embed the space sector within our economy and society, helping secure the UK’s place as a science superpower.”