Space South Central partners are proud to support the leading work being carried out by Spaceport Cornwall, working on a new spaceport that will provide the UK with a safe, dedicated, responsible and sustainable way to access space.

Spaceport Cornwall will provide commercial horizontal satellite launches, allowing Virgin Orbit modified Boeing 747 to carry satellites into orbit. The very first launch from Newquay will take place in September and will be the first ever satellite launch on UK soil. It will carry the Prometheus-2 cubesat to orbit and will be the start of the UK moving to the forefront of small satellite launches. 

Prometheus-2 is a pair of small satellites that will act as a platform for testing radio imaging, signal monitoring, GPS, data processing and satellite operations. Designed by Airbus Defence and Space and built by In-Space Missions who are based in Hampshire, the two shoebox-sized satellites will pave the way for a more collaborative and connected space communication system. 

The first cubesat will carry a hyperspectral imager, laser detector and GPS receiver, while the second will focus on optical imaging by carrying two cameras, a laser range finder and another GPS receiver. These satellites will be owned by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) in Portsmouth, who will also provide a ground-based development program alongside the satellites. 

KISPE Space CEO John Paffett is one of the leading Spaceport Cornwall team members, and the launches will begin an inspiring change in the UK. The country is one of the leading satellite producers, but this will be the first time that the UK will be able to launch its own satellites. John is working alongside many partners of Spaceport Cornwall - UKSA, Virgin Orbit, and Goonhilly Earth Station - to help create this local accessibility to launches, which will create a commercially viable high-tech sector in the UK, benefiting businesses, institutions and individuals. 

The University of Portsmouth will be involved in the data analysis of satellites launched from Spaceport Cornwall, including from the Kernow Sat missions. These cubesats will monitor the health of coastal areas, monitoring things like sea pollution, kelp forests and wave heights.

Organisations involved

• KISPE

• In-Space Missions

• University of Portsmouth