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- January 10th, 2014 Posted in Uncategorised

To celebrate the return of Stargazing on BBC2 in January 2014, there have been a series of space-themed interviews throughout the week (6-10 January) across BBC radio and TV with key space businesses.

On 7 January there was a space section on the regional radio broadcast slot covering the space industry in the UK, and BBC Breakfast TV interviewed the Chancellor, George Osborne about its commitment to the UK space industry together with other industry figures.

This week has provided an opportunity for the UK space industry to make clear that it is at the forefront of space technology and science, and contributes to everyday life on a huge scale with satellite TV, smart phones, disaster recovery, weather predictions and so much more.

The interviews have enabled the general public to get a very clear understanding of the scale of the space industry and the support this is giving to the UK economy and the bright future that lies ahead. The interviews have highlighted that this UK industry is worth billions of pounds while working on a global scale.

Richard Peckham, Business Development Director, Airbus Space and Defence, was interviewed on BBC Breakfast on Monday 6 January 2014 in a broadcast about the UK space industry becoming increasingly more democratic. The interview with John Maguire made clear that this is a fast growing industry, not just a race for space but our reliance on satellites for navigation, smart phones, TV and more. Facts and figures were provided with 30,000 people working in the space industry now, growing to over 100,000 in the next decade.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday 6 January 2014, Chancellor George Osborne said: “The government wants to match the industry ambitions and to see the space industry triple in size.”

Matt Perkins, CEO of SSTL and Chair of UKspace, was interviewed on BBC London news on Monday 6 January.

ADS Chief Executive, Paul Everitt, was interviewed for the BBC regional radio space section. Paul had the opportunity to stress the size of this growing industry, its importance in our day-to-day lives, that the UK is a world leader in the space sector, and that there are a wide range of benefits to the UK economy.