Major Tim To Ground Control! 

Swindon plays its part in first British astronaut on the International Space Station

 

Swindon might not have put a man on the moon - but we've certainly done our bit to help put the first British astronaut on to the International Space Station (ISS).

 

 

The moment former helicopter pilot Tim Peake successfully stepped on to ISS was the culmination of years of planning by the UK Space Agency, which are based at North Star.

 

The agency, who employ 70 people, are at the heart of UK efforts to explore and benefit from space and are responsible for all strategic decisions on the UK civil space programme.

 

Space race

 

The value of the space sector in the UK has grown from £6.5 billion in 2007 to £11.8 billion in 2014, and their ambition is that the sector should grow to £40 billion by 2030.

 

The agency plan to capture 10% of the global market for space by that time.

 

Space - The Final Frontier - starting in Swindon!