• Named ‘DOVER’, RHEA Group’s first satellite will fly into space on Virgin Orbit’s maiden UK launch, sharing a ride with five additional satellite missions, including the first ever satellite to be built in Wales.
• Today’s announcement confirms the UK is on track to become the first country in Europe to launch satellites into space from home soil this year, a key ambition of the Government’s National Space Strategy.

A new research satellite from international engineering firm Rhea Group, built in Oxfordshire by space company Open Cosmos, will be launched from the UK later this year.

Virgin Orbit will launch the ‘DOVER’ pathfinder satellite from Spaceport Cornwall. The satellite will transmit an innovative new signal, specially designed by engineers at RHEA, to provide data from space that can be used on the ground to obtain a position or an accurate time. It will broadcast these new signals so that their performance can be tested as part of the research project.

This new satellite completes the line-up for the UK’s first launch, which also includes satellites from organisations such as Space Forge, the Satellite Applications Catapult and Horizon Technologies, as well as the Prometheus-2 research demonstration satellites. Prometheus-2 was co-funded and designed with Airbus Defence and Space and assembled by In-Space Missions, as part of a collaboration between the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and international partners, including the US National Reconnaissance Office.

The UK is poised to become the first country in Europe to launch satellites into orbit this year from home soil, a key ambition of the UK Government’s National Space Strategy. Spaceport Cornwall is at the heart of a growing aerospace and space cluster and will create 150 jobs in the local area.

The development of a commercial launch capability will give the UK access to the growing global launch market, delivering a further boost to the thriving space and satellite sector, which is already home to more than 47,000 jobs across the country and supports billions of pounds of wider economic activity.

Dr Paul Bate, CEO of the UK Space Agency, said:

The countdown is on to the first satellite launch from Spaceport Cornwall, with a full complement of satellites confirmed by Virgin Orbit for what promises to be a landmark moment for our thriving space sector.

It’s fantastic that RHEA Group’s DOVER satellite is joining the launch, which showcases both our domestic satellite manufacturing expertise and the international interest in the UK as a launch destination.

The ability to launch satellites from UK soil will support our work to catalyse investment into the space sector, deliver new capabilities and champion the incredible role of space to benefit life on Earth.

The ‘DOVER’ pathfinder satellite

RHEA Group’s Dover satellite, the company’s first, was co-funded by the UK Space Agency’s investment in the European Space Agency’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP). It’s named after the Dover Strait, where the English Channel is narrowest and shipping lanes are busiest, as this is a key location for testing new techniques and technologies for Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT).

The satellite is a strong example of UK expertise in PNT technology, which underpins vast swathes of economic activity, as well as small satellite manufacturing, with Open Cosmos building the satellite at the Harwell Space Cluster, Oxfordshire.

Emma Jones, RHEA’s UK Business Director, said:

This is a momentous event for RHEA. This year we are celebrating our 30th anniversary and it is a great milestone to launch our first ever satellite in the same year. The UK is in the very desirable position of establishing a number of spaceports, and it is thrilling to have a RHEA satellite on board the first launch to take off from UK soil.

Florian Deconinck, Vice President of Institutional Partnerships & Future Missions at Open Cosmos, said:

DOVER is a great example of Open Cosmos’ ability to design, manufacture, launch and operate satellites in a responsive manner. The timescales for this future mission are impressively aggressive: 8 months from the moment of first contact with RHEA to getting an operating satellite in orbit. This is the result of a close partnership between Open Cosmos and RHEA, the very reactive support from UK Space Agency and ESA-NAVISP teams, and the possibility of delivering all the phases from a single location, the UK.

The launch

During the launch mission, a Virgin Orbit 747 will take off from the runway at Spaceport Cornwall, carrying a rocket beneath its wing. The plane will fly out over the ocean before blasting the rocket into space, delivering satellites into orbit around the Earth. In the cockpit will be Squadron Leader Mathew ‘Stanny’ Stannard, an RAF Test Pilot serving on industrial placement as one of Virgin Orbit’s pilots.

This will be the first satellite launch from UK soil and Virgin Orbit’s first mission outside the US. It follows the successful ‘Straight Up’ mission, that delivered seven satellites into space from Mojave in California on Saturday 2nd July.

Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit, said:

We’re very pleased to have been selected by RHEA Group to launch its first satellite. The DOVER satellite, which was designed in Belgium, built in the UK, funded by the European Space Agency, and now will be launched from Cornwall, is a great example of the power that comes with the infusion of space collaboration taking place across the globe.

The work RHEA will do with their DOVER satellite will help to assure reliable navigation, which touches all of us and can be vital for everything from environmentally-efficient shipping to national security.

Melissa Thorpe, Head of Spaceport Cornwall, said:

We’re thrilled to have ‘DOVER’ complete the line-up of satellites onboard Virgin Orbit’s first launch from Cornwall. Each payload highlights the innovation happening within the small satellite industry, and how it can benefit life on earth, while showcasing the growing collaboration between UK Space and international partners.

This is another great moment in the countdown to launch from Cornwall.

UK spaceflight programme

With funding first announced at the Farnborough International Airshow in 2018, the UK Space Agency is supporting the development of commercial and sustainable satellite launch operations across the UK, working with a range of partners including Spaceport Cornwall and Virgin Orbit, Space Hub Sutherland and Orbex, and SaxaVord Spaceport, Lockheed Martin and ABL Space Systems.

The space sector has shown remarkable resilience in the face of global challenges such as the pandemic, with more than 1,700 satellites launched worldwide in 2021 alone. These provide vital technologies used every day by people and businesses, including communications, Earth observation and navigation services.

The UK has world-leading expertise in satellite design, manufacturing, data and applications but, until now, has not been able to launch them from home soil.

With a rare Red Extreme Heat Warning issued by the Met Office for Monday 18 July and Tuesday 19 July, the Environment Agency is calling on anglers, fisheries owners and the public to help them protect vulnerable fish stocks.

Extreme weather, including continuous hot temperatures and thunderstorms, can be highly dangerous for fish and can cause a range of problems, particularly for more susceptible species like salmon and pike. Hot and sunny weather typically triggers algal blooms, which can reduce dissolved oxygen levels in our waters leading to fish becoming distressed and, in some cases, dying.

In the last week, Environment Agency officers have helped protect thousands of fish in Worcestershire and Essex thanks to anglers, fisheries owners and the public reporting concerns to our Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or alerting the fishery owner or angling club.

Fish should never be moved to other waters by the public because they are unlikely to survive and could spread disease or invasive species by accident, which can damage fish and other wildlife in the area.

Heidi Stone, Fisheries Partnerships Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

Environment Agency teams are working hard to mitigate the impacts of recent high temperatures and are monitoring the situation closely when it comes to protecting fish at risk.

We aim to respond to reports of fish in distress as quickly as possible. Help from the public goes a long way which is why we provide free advice to all on how to protect fish during hot weather.

Last week in Worcestershire, the Environment Agency deployed several aeration pumps to an angling club’s fishery after dissolved oxygen levels fell to around 15 per cent. This rapid response saved thousands of vulnerable fish and averted a significant fish mortality. At another fishery in Basildon, Essex, Environment Agency officers deployed aerators after the report of 1,000 dead fish at a fishery owned by the borough council. Dissolved oxygen levels have since recovered due to prompt reporting and a rapid response from EA fisheries officers.

Environment Agency incident response work includes deploying aeration equipment or hydrogen peroxide to restore dissolved oxygen levels, providing expert advice to angling clubs and anglers, and occasionally, as a last resort, relocating fish. All of this work is funded by fishing licence income – and provides a vital life line to fisheries when they most need it.

Many angling clubs and fisheries carry out effective practices to help manage and mitigate the impacts of continued hot temperatures on fisheries, but a list of ten top tips are available to guide people on how to protect vital stocks and prevent fish deaths where possible.

Anglers can also help vulnerable fish stocks by minimising use of bait, taking care when playing, landing and releasing large or sensitive fish, such as pike, barbel, trout and salmon, as well as avoiding taking photos of fish out of water to avoid further oxygen loss.

Anyone who sees fish in distress should contact the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.

Further information

Our work is funded by rod licence income. Every penny we receive is reinvested to fund vital work to protect and improve England’s fisheries such as enforcing the right laws; providing an emergency response; ensuring healthy fish stocks in a good quality environment; and providing a sustainable future for angling.

Signs that a fish is in distress include appearing lethargic and/or unresponsive, sometimes close to the bank, tight shoaling and obvious gasping at the surface, and signs of infection or fungus.

Further information on how anglers can help fish in distress by:

• Take particular care when playing, landing and releasing barbel during warm weather
• Avoid fishing for larger fish or sensitive species if the water temperature exceeds 19°C by mid-morning. (Clubs may choose to update their social media accounts with daily updates)
• Minimise your use of ground-bait. As it decomposes, this can further reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. Fish feeding on ground-bait may have a greater oxygen need, so take longer to recover from being caught.
• Unhook fish in the water if possible and only take them out of the water for unhooking if absolutely necessary (in rivers hold them facing upstream to recover)
• Avoid taking photos. Where absolutely necessary, take photos in the water – keeping a fish in the air, even for a few seconds, can greatly reduce its chances of surviving after capture and going on to spawn successfully.

Taking place in Hull, the Women into Manufacturing and Engineering (WiME) Public Careers Fair highlighted the world of opportunities for women to join these fast-paced and exciting sectors.

During the day, approximately 200 girls from schools across the Humber area attended the event, with around 70 women going along in the evening. The event aimed to drive positive change in terms of gender balance in the workplace, challenge stereotypes and inspire girls and women to consider careers in these industries.

Among the inspirational females offering a glimpse into the industries was Frances Oliver. Frances is the National Highways Project Manager for the A63 Castle Street improvement scheme, which is transforming Hull city centre. She oversees this £355m upgrade which will improve access to the port, reduce congestion and enhance safety as well as connections between the city centre and tourist and recreational facilities.

Frances said:

I hope to promote equality so that women and girls don’t feel that, if they do go for those roles, they will be the only female on their team. You can’t be what you can’t see.

After graduating from the University of York in 2006 with a BA Degree in Linguistics, Frances joined National Highways in 2007. Having initially joined the agency in the HR department, she went on to become involved in financial management for IT projects.

She later became involved in project management. She says:

This was a great way to be involved in an area that was fast-paced and public-facing.

She moved into Major Projects in 2012. Supported by the organisation, Frances worked her way up, going on to be assistant project manager for the A63 scheme before becoming project manager.

She says:

I’ve been involved in a variety of construction projects, but this is the biggest construction project I’ve seen – and I get to be manager of it!

Frances says she doesn’t recall seeing a female engineer or project manager growing up:

I think, if you can’t see something, you’re not aware you can do it. I want to promote the fact that there are great roles out there for everyone and there are all kinds of women doing them. I work with fantastic women in our team.

The WiME event was led by Green Port Hull. This is a collaboration between Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council and North Lincolnshire Council to promote investment and development of the renewable energy sector in the Humber region. It also aims to support investors and their supply chains to secure long-term economic growth for the area.

Chair of WiME, Dr Kirsty Clode, said:

We’re thrilled Frances and the team from National Highways could join us at our Hull careers event, which was supported by female employees from over 35 different organisations. What makes a huge difference is that we set up our events so that women who do these roles are available for girls and women to chat to. We’re so thankful to everyone who gave up their time to make this possible.

National Highways and delivery partner Balfour Beatty have worked together to create a lasting “local first” legacy, helping charities, businesses, suppliers, schools and colleges throughout the life of the scheme.

The project is engaging with young people on employment and skills activities, promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) as a career.

The project team has engaged with more than 12,000 students in the last 12 months and delivered STEM-based activities to schools, colleges, and the University of Hull, including a full day for 45 students from a local Special Educational Needs and Disabilities school.

Women into Manufacturing and Engineering (WiME)

WiME is an initiative to encourage women to choose a career in these industries.

With great pay, a high number of vacancies and attractive prospects, careers in manufacturing and engineering present a wide variety of interesting and exciting roles, which play an important part in our economy.

This is why Green Port Hull has launched WiME, to encourage, inspire and help women in discover the opportunities available in manufacturing and engineering.

WiME has grown in strength with a network of 50 local companies, and has engaged with over 2,700 women and girls, encouraging them to consider STEM subjects and career opportunities.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the National Highways customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the National Highways press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.