Excitement is high among members of a team co-ordinating Britain’s first space launch, which is set for lift-off on Monday.
Final arrangements are being made to send several satellites into space on Monday night from Cornwall Airport near Newquay in south-west England as part of the Start Me Up mission.
The mission involves a repurposed Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 aircraft, called Cosmic Girl, which will take off horizontally from the new launch site while carrying a rocket packed with eight shoebox-sized satellites.
The window for the mission will be open from about 9.40pm until 11pm, with the rocket drop following around an hour later, 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Ireland.
Melissa Thorpe, head of Spaceport Cornwall, said: “I feel confident and I feel focused and ready to handle whatever comes our way. And I just feel so excited.
“I cannot wait for the UK to join that exclusive launch club because it’s going to feel good.”
Ian Annett, deputy chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said there was “immense excitement” among those involved.
Speaking on Radio 4's Today show on Monday, Ms Thorpe said the rocket will be carrying nine satellites.
"They are doing a variety of different amazing things for the people and our planet," she said.
"From earth observation, to monitoring illegal fishing to building satellites and products and manufacturing them in space. So we have a lot of different things, a lot of different companies and even a few different nations that will be launching. So it is a commercial entity. They are paying commercial rates to get to space."
The satellites will perform a variety of tasks for customers including Oman and the US and UK militaries.
They will be the first satellites launched into space from Europe.
Ms Thorpe said that was important, because the UK will no longer have to rely on other countries.
"Joining that really exclusive club of launch nations is so important because it gives us our own access to space," she told Radio 4.
"That sovereign access to space that we have never had before in the UK. And from a commercial perspective in a marketplace that’s really exciting.
"But also geopolitically that’s really important if we have seen more recently with what happened in Ukraine and Kazakhstan and not being able to launch with Soyuz, we now have the opportunity to launch our own satellites."
A window for the flight first opened on October 29 and the team was aiming for lift-off before the middle of November, but failed to secure a licence in time. It was finally secured in late December.
Dan Hart, Virgin Orbit’s chief executive, said the schedule would be adjusted if necessary. There are several opportunities over the coming weeks.
“We are always geared towards and focused on the start of the window, which is why we are here today,” he said.
“But we will be looking very carefully at the readiness of the system as we process forward. Right now everything is green.”
The rocket was armed on Saturday, the fuel will be loaded later on Sunday, he said.
Mr Hart said the mission was in “full motion” as it aimed for Monday’s launch.
“That said, if we see anything interesting that we want to stop and pause and look at, relative to the system health, if winds or precipitation, or lightning or something like that is in the area we will look very closely,” he said.
He said the team would know very quickly whether the mission was successful.
“The mission will take a little bit over an hour after we leave the airport, to get into position for releasing the rocket,” he said.
“And after that it’s on the order of 50 to 60 minutes before we have released the satellites and got the data back on the orbital performance. So it will be quick.”
US Industrial Market figures, Q1 2017
Vacancy Rate 5.4%
Markets With Positive Absorption 85.7 per cent
New Supply 55 million sq ft
New Supply to Inventory 0.4 per cent
Under Construction 198.2 million sq ft
(Source: Colliers)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: juhi.khan@daralber.ae
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
More on animal trafficking
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RESULTS
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
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