Why did the UK abandon Orbex?
Firstly, I would like to sincerely apologise to my paid subscribers. I had planned to begin publishing the exclusive interviews this week, but as you can imagine, getting long-form written interviews with CEOs is a time-intensive exercise. That said, I already have several interviews in progress, which means that once the first is published, there should be a steady flow of content moving forward. At least, that’s the plan.
In January 2025, the UK government appeared to be fully behind Orbex, with Technology Secretary Peter Kyle touting the company’s future by channeling his inner Jim Bridenstine, saying it would launch “British rockets carrying British satellites from British soil.” In November 2025, during the European Space Agency’s Ministerial Council meeting (CM25), the UK government appeared to falter in its support for Orbex, choosing not to immediately put its full funding weight behind the company. Two months later, the company announced that it was preparing to s…
