The small group of nations to have sent rockets into the sky from their own soil is about to gain a new member as Britain makes its first ever launch from a seaside town better known for surfing and sandy beaches than space adventures.
The mission will take off from Spaceport Cornwall in Newquay, southwest England, the first of a clutch of bases through which the UK aims to establish itself as a major player in the sector amid surging demand for launch capacity.
The flight, slated for Monday, involves a so-called horizontal launch, with a rocket deployed from beneath