One of the many privileges of being an MP is receiving invitations to local community events. Last weekend was extra special as my husband and I were included in the event to honour Chichester born astronaut Tim Peake. The packed Festival Theatre hosted the free event which began with Chichester City Council presenting Tim with the Honorary Freedom of the City. The City Council has a wealth of history and tradition, much of which is on display at formal ceremonies. Led by the Mayor of Chichester, with Councillors dressed in their finery, the ceremony was a sight to behold.
We then had a fascinating presentation by Tim using pictures and sound recordings to bring his mission to life. The audience was spellbound as, similar to Neil Armstrong before him, Tim has fired the imagination of a whole new generation. The pictures gave us a new perspective on planet earth both its beauty and fragility. We also learnt that, from space, earth has almost no signs of human habitation by day but springs to life at night as we literally switch the lights on.
It was a very touching event with Tim thanking his parents, Nigel and Angela, as well as Westbourne cub scouts, Chi High teachers and the Combined Cadet Force for their support and helping him to develop the required personal qualities and guide important life decisions which ultimately led to him becoming an astronaut.
Tim is focussed on educational projects and more than 1.6m children were involved in programmes interacting with Tim from the International Space Station. Locally we held an exhibition in the Novium Museum which welcomed 62,000 visitors, with over 700 children attending space sleepovers and thousands more taking part in workshops and activities.
In Parliament this week the Lords are considering the Space Industry Bill that will create the regulatory framework to expand our commercial space industry, and the development of a UK Space Port. The UK Space Agency recently announced an investment of £8.4 million in the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall that will help create the world’s first commercial deep-space communications station, capable of tracking future missions to the Moon and Mars.
Even space can’t escape Brexit but the good news is that our membership of the European Space Agency will continue as it is not an EU institution. The Government has committed to remain at the forefront of the space industry, with a £100million investment in a state-of-the-art satellite facility, leading the way in research, like the impact of space flight on the human body announced last year.
Concerns have been raised about the UK’s future work with EU space operations like the Galileo and Copernicus satellite programmes. Of course, our future relationship is still being negotiated, however, the government has indicated it intends to maintain close cooperation in key areas such as space.
With the progress we are making who knows what is around the corner. In a few years’ time space tourism could become a reality and after watching Tim’s presentation I think most of the audience would sign up for the trip!