FUNDING TO DEVELOP SPACE CENTRE AND DRONE DELIVERIES
THE UK Space Agency has awarded funding to develop Llanbedr airport into a space centre and with further cash to develop satellite-enabled drones to deliver healthcare.
At the UK Space Conference in Newport it was announced that Snowdonia Aerospace Centre is to receive £500K in support from UK Space Agency’s Horizontal Spaceport Development Fund – in a move welcomed by Gwynedd council.
The funding will enable a group of space services companies, working as a consortium, to research their multi-million pound spaceport vision for the site and build a supporting business case.
The proposed facilities would include world class training facilities for astronauts and the aero-medical sector, satellite development and launch, and a visitor centre and planetarium together with supporting hotel.
It was also announced at the conference that the site would receive funding towards a specific project to investigate using satellite-enabled drones to deliver healthcare in rural communities.
Snowdonia Aerospace will receive £135,000 Welsh Government funding for the testing and flying of unmanned aircraft, electric aircraft and space planes.
B2 Space has also been awarded £100,000 to establish in Wales and utilise Llanbedr to explore the possibility of using stratospheric balloons to launch nano satellites.
Wales aims to generate 5% of the UK space industry’s turnover – a £2bn opportunity per annum - by 2030.
The project, in association with the Welsh Ambulance Service, will look at the emergency delivery of defibrillators using drones.
Lee Paul, CEO of Snowdonia Aerospace, which runs the site, said: “We have been working hard for many years to develop the site as a centre of excellence for emerging future flight technologies including space related activities, and today’s announcements support our vision both for short and longer term operations.”
Cllr Gareth Thomas, Gwynedd Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “Snowdonia Aerospace Centre has the potential to create significant numbers of high value jobs for the people of Meirionnydd, and we have therefore worked closely with all partners to support its development.
“With the support of EU Funds, works are already under way to improve existing facilities to accommodate new tenants and create new jobs.”