Why space still has a reputation problem
Space is the final frontier when it comes to people's knowledge, a panel of industry experts at the Confederation of British Industry annual conference has said today.
The speakers admitted, although personalities like astronaut Tim Peake had helped to make the industry more popular, many people were still unaware of how wide the industry actually was.
Anu Ojha, director at the UK National Space Academy revealed the industry risked missing out on top young talent because too many people thought of space as just exploration, despite other related fields, such as satellite technology, having many important applications.
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Meanwhile, Steve Smart, senior vice president, UK space, defence, national & cyber security, CGI and chair of UKspace, added that one of the key differences between the UK industry and the US industry was that across the Atlantic there was a "little bit more PR".
And Katherine Courtney, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, bravely confessed that last year, prior to taking up her current role, she wasn't even aware that the UK had a space agency.