The three leading powers in Europe, the UK, France, and Germany, have frequently been in competing positions. The UK’s stance as a competitive entity was further accelerated by the nation’s decision to leave the EU in 2016.
This was acknowledged by Angela Merkel, who at the time remarked, ‘With the departure of Great Britain, a potential competitor will, of course, emerge for us’.
The UK’s decision to leave the EU was fueled by factors like sovereignty, the economy, and immigration. Brexit would only serve to reignite an age-long rivalry with Germany, where the UK’s decision to leave has furthered the competitive spirit between the nations.
Despite both nations establishing amicable terms and cooperating in the aftermath of events, it’s difficult to deny a rivalry that’s rooted in history. In the years following the World Wars, the unification of Germany served as a ground for cooperation as various organizations were established.
But a handshake between nations wasn’t sufficient to undermine a competitive spirit that underlies the status and advancement of the nations. In fact, evidence of the continual nature of the rivalry recently surfaced as the UK and Germany are actively engaged in space industry development. With reference to the incredible history between them, the nations are now competing for their place under the sun.
Some things will never change! But do the British really know more about the space industry than the Germans?
The UK’s Initiative to Get Ahead in the Space Race
Spaceports are mushrooming across Europe; however, the UK’s desire to become the first European country with a commercial spaceport is a testament to the nation’s patriotism and competitive spirit.
Britain is currently funding various projects, leading a thriving UK sector with prospects for horizontal spaceflight and becoming a dominant force within the small satellite industry.
It would appear that the nation’s fascination with space has accelerated its position within the industry, where space tourism fascinates the people. However, 57% of Germans know nothing about their county’s current activities in space. Despite 59% Brits knowing nothing about their country’s space activity than the Germans, it still would appear British citizens are more engaged.
23% of Brits are aware of the companies that develop rockets, compared with just 15% of Germans. This awareness is driven by intrigue and investment, where representatives of the UK are currently seeking affordable solutions for smaller satellites and space tourism.
Pride and patriotism are further incentives, where a commitment to spaceports is a huge boost for the UK space industry. We are currently reaching a crescendo with regards to the first European construction of a spaceport. The first nation to do so will attract significant investment and business activity, securing a further competitive advantage over rival nations.
Though it’s too early to call a winner, the UK is evidently making more ground than Germany, particularly after implementing the necessary regulations. The UK’s progress contrasting German achievement is perhaps partly due to Germans prioritizing other sectors, with the colonization of planets and military needs remaining somewhere at the bottom of their list.
The Germans have shown an interest in exploring space-based healthcare solutions, but to what extent has the nation’s perception shifted its space industry developments? Let’s further explore how UK priorities differ from Germany, with special regard to how belief and the execution of ambition have propelled Britain’s space engineering.
The UK’s Perception: Commitment to Spaceports
The British government has committed to furthering the UK space industry, fearing a loss of talent and access to EU projects. Representatives have been proud of the progress to this point, including outstanding contributions from the Royal Air Force on their ARTEMIS project in collaboration with Virgin Orbit.
Will Whitehorn, the president of UK Space, believes horizontal launches could start from as early as 2021, where runways for horizontal launches are already set up. Vertical launches are expected to start from 2022, where funding has been secured to develop the infrastructure that’s necessary.
According to physicist David Southwood, the UK could be en route to successfully attracting private companies to enter the launch game. This would have a significant impact on funding, where more money would be available for further development.
Despite being nearly a century removed from the World Wars, Germans are still somewhat afraid of patriotism, particularly more than a half of respondents are not proud of their heritage. As for the UK, less than a half of respondents indicated lack of pride. This fear of patriotism could be a reason why Germans have been inclined to choose weaker variants, and are perhaps less incentivized to win the space war.
When given a choice of where to travel into space from, 16% of Germans would choose a native spaceport. This is quite different from the 37% of Brits who would choose to fly from a UK-based spaceport. As German priorities lie elsewhere, Brits are encouraged by space-based healthcare solutions and military needs, alongside agricultural innovations like wider space and colonization of planets.
Statistics suggest 53% of Brits are for spaceport, as opposed to just 35% of Germans. It is evident that UK initiatives are surpassing German efforts. And it appears the UK’s perception of space exploration has furthered the nation’s ambitions.
The UK was once Europe’s biggest spender on defense, previously serving as a vital European partner for security. In the wake of Brexit, Britain has severed ties with the €10bn Galileo satellite navigation project it was once a huge contributor to.
As the UK strives for independent achievement, many of its companies can no longer be involved with EU space projects. This only serves to project the patriotism and ambition surrounding the UK’s space industry efforts, where UK representatives are incentivized to achieve incredible space-related outcomes for their people.
The ambitious Galileo space project will miss the UK’s investment, but the nation clearly has other ideas.
Summary
British citizens have shown a significantly deeper interest in the adventurous nature of space travel. The nation’s knowledge about the industry should ultimately help to secure a competitive edge over the Germans, a nation that’s currently much further behind in terms of progress.
Will the support of the public help the UK win over German support in Europe? Only time will tell…
OTS News on Social Media