A message from our CEO

As the country responds to the pandemic, and as our governments in Edinburgh and Westminster rally and put in Herculean shifts to ensure all that can be done is being done to alleviate the suffering, it is important that we in the space industry continue to look to the future and prepare for life after Covid-19.

If ever there was a time for a “new” industry to excite the nation and bring employment opportunities to both the current and next generation, it is now. By definition space is a fast moving, agile and exciting sector. We need to bring those attributes to the fore and ensure that the UK is ready to hit the ground running once the dark days are gone. Remember there are two sides to the moon, and we will come back into the sunlight just as Michael Collins did in 1969.

All of us, from the launch sites, north and south, the launch providers and the satellite manufacturers throughout the space ecosystem, must pull together to support the UK Space Agency and ensure we are ready for lift off next year.

We owe it to those who have been hardest hit by the outbreak and equally those who are giving so much to support those less fortunate. I have no doubts that all our colleagues in the industry feel the same as we do, and are continuing just like our SSC team to work day in day out to ensure we don’t miss a beat in our quest to deliver the new space economy.

Space is a truly international business and this dreadful virus has affected our clients, friends and colleagues from France, Germany, Ukraine, Canada, the USA, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, Italy and India as well as here in the UK. Judging from the Facebook comments and posts I read daily, no one is going to let Covid-19 get in the way of our collective progress. There will be challenges to us all over the next six months or so, but most of us are well used to battling through, and no matter how hard the fight it will not compare with the battle faced by those afflicted on a day to day basis.

The message is: “We in Shetland are not stopping in our quest to deliver success for both Shetland and the rest of the country, and will do our best to support all our friends and colleagues in the space family as we all strive to bring some hope and no little excitement to these dark times.” It’s not quite business as usual as we need to move faster to stay ahead of the virus, but I could not be prouder of our own team who have not missed a beat and continue to work incredibly hard on our project to deliver for not just Shetland, but the international community.

To quote Ron Garan (astronaut): “If we can adopt the same collaborative mindset and practices that got us to the Moon and back, and that built the International Space Station, we can alleviate poverty … and do much more.” Such as alleviating Covid-19!

Stay healthy and well

Frank

CEO SSC