The UK has formed closer US space links after the secretary of state for defence, Penny Mordaunt, announced it will become the first international partner of Operation Olympic Defender. The project aims to bolster space-based defence and tackle in-orbit space debris. The UK will also send eight personnel to support the US military's Combined Space Operations Center in California. This pilot will provide “key operational insights into the best ways to integrate Virgin Orbit’s system and its unique capabilities into the RAF’s planning and operations,” the company said. Mordaunt said: "The United Kingdom is a global leader when it comes to space. The RAF will partner Virgin Orbit in launching the satellites.
The UK has formed closer US space links after the secretary of state for defence, Penny Mordaunt, announced it will become the first international partner of Operation Olympic Defender. The project aims to bolster space-based defence and tackle in-orbit space debris. The UK will also send eight personnel to support the US military's Combined Space Operations Center in California. Mordaunt said: "The United Kingdom is a global leader when it comes to space. The RAF will partner Virgin Orbit in launching the satellites.