Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, has welcomed the announcement today that Cornwall’s Goonhilly Earth Station is being upgraded to communicate with deep space missions to the Moon and Mars thanks to an £8.4m investment from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
It will be the first time the UK has had the capability to communicate directly with deep-space missions, and makes Goonhilly the world’s first commercial deep-space communications station.
The LEP’s investment has come from the Government’s Local Growth Fund, and will be made via the European Space Agency.
Commenting, Steve said:
“This is great news for Goonhilly, great news for Cornwall and particularly great news for the ongoing bid put in by Cornwall Airport Newquay to be the UK’s first commercial spaceport.”
“Historically, the bid has been strengthened by the strong links with Goonhilly and this £8.4m upgrade for the Earth Station and along with our bid, puts Cornwall at the heart of the UK Space industry.”
“I am eagerly awaiting the outcome of the bid and will continue to do all I can to ensure it is a successful one, to allow Cornwall to boldly go where no Cornish person has gone before!”