Whilst many people may not be aware, space has had and continues to have a huge impact on modern lives. Our #ThanksSpace social media campaign has been developed to highlight the unique benefits that space has brought to our everyday lives across the UK.
The film features an astronaut in a full iconic white space suit farming, practicing medicine and using a smartphone in order to highlight Earth-based sectors which are heavily supported by space technology; agriculture, healthcare and at home.
Agriculture
To boldly grow; Farming equipment and technology have seen huge developments from space. Farmers can remotely sensor and monitor crops, produce rainfall assessments to help plan timing, as well as predict the agricultural output and how it will affect food shortages.
Healthcare
Many significant medical breakthroughs have not come without influence from space. Space has helped professionals detect breast cancer, provided technology that supports modern MRI scans and aided in research to improve eye surgery.
Home
Space is present throughout our homes as pocket-sized and invisible technologies that support our lives – rom faster online communications and complex smartphones, through to satellite broadcasting, better home appliances and advanced weather forecasting that make our everyday lives easier.
Recent findings show that the perception of space is shaped less by the positive role it plays in our day-to-day lives and the economy, and more by popular culture. People seem to associate space with ‘aliens’ (21%), ‘science fiction’ (14%) and ‘Star Wars’ (10%), whilst only 8% realise its ‘communications and connectivity’ capabilities[1].
The UK space sector brings £17.5 billion to the UK economy annually – an increase of £1 billion in a year – helping to launch new business, create jobs across the country and outpace the growth of the global space industry at 1.6%[2]. Currently, the sector employs just under 48,800 people across the UK, with a further 26,800 jobs supported across the UK supply chain[2]. With ongoing investment, forecasts indicate that the UK could see an additional 30,000 jobs created during the next decade[3].
Dr Alice Bunn, President of UKspace:
“Space is the invisible thread of our everyday lives, but so many of us are unaware of its impact on the UK. In so many ways, all of us are impacted by the technological developments to modern life.
“Through our new campaign, we are highlighting just how important space is to all of us and how the investment we see in locations across the UK will continue to support local communities, lives, jobs and innovation.
“The UK is home to a thriving satellite manufacturing industry and is on track to become the first country in Europe to offer commercial launch services to small satellite manufacturers, from a range of spaceports offering both horizontal and vertical rocket launch capabilities. It supports highly skilled jobs, fuels technology advancements and creates business opportunities that feed back into the economy. This, in turn, grows the pool of public money that can be spent on solving the world’s most pressing problems. As we move forward, the UK is set to be in an even stronger position to escalate our space capabilities.”
Astronaut Tim Peake:
“Space isn’t just about adventure and discovery; it’s about developing space-based technology to deliver value in all our lives and improving life on Earth. I’m extremely privileged to have experienced space and know what an incredibly valuable tool it can be to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, environmentalists, educators, security experts and many more, help develop new technologies and solutions for global challenges, and enhance our understanding of the universe and our place in it.”
On Earth we benefit from many technological and scientific advances thanks to the challenges and solutions of working in space. They touch each part of our lives with hundreds of innovations making their way into how we communicate, transport, medicate and advance.
#ThanksSpace.
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