KEY POINTS
- The U.K. government invested $117,000 in the tech
- Autophage rockets may be used for launching small satellites
- The U.K. aims to secure 10% of the space industry by 2030
The U.K. government is investing in rockets that “eat themselves” up on the way to orbit as it scrambles to gain market share in the global space industry.
The ‘autophage’ rocket engine, developed by researchers from Ukraine and Glasgow University, Scotland, has received funding worth 90,000 pounds, or $117,000, from the Ministry of Defense’s innovation head-hunter Defense & Security Accelerator (DASA).
Autophage rockets, simply put, help to lift satellites into space by burning their own body as fuel. This tech produces enough energy to reach orbit in a smaller launch vehicle. It may help the U.K. claim a part of the global $2.8-billion small-satellite launch market, which at present is dominated by American companies Rocket Lab and SpaceX.
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