Space News reports the British government has awarded contracts totaling approximately $2 million to five groups for feasibility studies on launching out of the United Kingdom.
Airbus Safran Launchers, the prime contractor for Europe’s Ariane 5 and future Ariane 6 rockets, which has said was interested in a small-satellite launcher in addition to commercializing its work on a suborbital space-tourism vehicle.
Deimos Space UK associated with Firefly Space Systems of the United States, developing a vertical-launch rocket.
Lockheed Martin of the United States, proposing a version of its Athena small-satellite vertical-launch vehicle.
Britain’s Orbital Access associated with BAE Systems and Reaction Engines Ltd., proposing to use a modified version of Reaction Engines’ single-stage-to-orbit technology, whose development is being partially funded by the British government.
Virgin Galactic, which is proposing its SpaceShipTwo suborbital vehicle, designed in the United States.
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