My Cornish World Melissa Thorpe, Spaceport Cornwall

Tell us about yourself I’m originally from Canada, and came to Cornwall in 2010. As an aerospace economist, I was a consultant for Cornwall Council when it purchased the site of what is now Cornwall Newquay Airport from the Ministry of Defence, to see what other business could be done on the site. The airport was announced as a potential satellite launch site back in 2014; I was pulled over to work on it at that point, and in 2021 became head of Spaceport Cornwall.

Why do we need a Spaceport? The UK builds a majority of the small satellites currently in use, but had no means of launching them and had to send them overseas. The UK government saw a great opportunity to secure that market and launch our own satellites. While the stereotypical idea of a launch is that of a vertical lift straight up into space, ours will launch horizontally, using a runway; an aircraft will carry the rocket to altitude and then drop it mid-air.

Why was Cornwall chosen? It was shortlisted due to the infrastructure of the airport, for factors such as runway length and sea access. We didn’t need to do much to make it launch-ready, which was very attractive. Plus we have Goonhilly Earth Station on our doorstep, which was fundamental. We are so lucky to have this here – you couldn’t find it anywhere else in the UK. We are making history.

How will it be good for Cornwall? Top businesses are relocating here because of it, creating highly skilled jobs and developing a space culture here. G7 in 2021 was also a huge platform for Cornwall. I was able to meet heads of state, and my main message to them was that we don’t need to create a spaceport in the middle of the jungle, or be impactful to the environment.

How do you propose to be more sustainable? We’re using more sustainable methods to start with, but there is still a carbon impact. Even though it is lower, we are looking at ways of improving it even further. We are also being transparent about our impact by way of reports and assessments, which is quite new for the space industry. We take that responsibility very seriously, and would like to achieve carbon zero.

The launch was due to take place in time for the Platinum Jubilee – now it’s planned for September. What happened? Among other things, we had to wait for a launch to take place in the Mojave desert in California, so our partner Virgin Orbit could move its team and equipment back to Cornwall and set up here. Space is hard, but we are constantly learning and improving. The best thing about the industry is that it keeps on going. Plus it’s the first time, and the main objective is to prove safe and capable launch processes.

What will be on it? There will be several small satellites on the first launch, with diverse purposes – a mix of private, government and academia. One will monitor illegal fishing – this was announced in April in the USA, and I was there with Sir Richard Branson for that. Another is a partnership between the UK and the USA militaries, for keeping forces safe overseas, yet another offers weather monitoring to the Royal Navy. It’s a real showcase of what the industry can do. With commercial flights, exploration on Mars and an increasing number of satellites, space is looking very busy! Why do we need this launch? Our modern world is underpinned by satellite technology. Every single one of us uses it, every single day – from monitoring the crops that will make wheat for our breakfast, to GPS on the school run, to all the ATMs that dispense our money. Humans are hungry for this technology. We couldn’t function without it, or at the very least would be less efficient. It enables us to observe the earth, protect democracy and hold people to account – for example, the images that have come from Ukraine were obtained using satellite technology. It has become fundamental to our lives, and there’s no way we can go back. But it’s not new - humans have always looked at the stars and wondered what’s out there. It’s inevitable we will be a multi-planetary species in the future.

How are you involving the next generation? Schoolchildren from all over the UK visit us. Our ambition is to have an outreach facility on site, so we can get local kids in front of amazing emerging businesses and show them you can do really cool jobs in Cornwall – you don’t have to leave.

Do you see yourself as a role model for girls in science? No – I'm just doing my job the best I can, with integrity. Yes, I’m the only female head of a spaceport in the world, and people write me amazing letters and posts on social media. But I think it's a bit sad I’m in that position. I have two daughters myself, and of course I believe there should be more women doing what I do, but I understand that we’re not quite there yet. It’s up to me and my colleagues to change that. l

1st to 30th August 2022

This August we feature a new collection of paintings by award winning artist Ian Hargreaves, with scenes of Italy, Portugal and Greece, alongside images inspired by locations in Polzeath, Port Isaac and the surrounding area.

48 ART NEWS 54 GALLERY OF THE MONTH: CUSTOMS HOUSE GALLERY, PORTHLEVEN 56 ART FOCUS: LEMON STREET GALLERY 58 ART FOCUS: HEVVA! HEVVA! AT FALMOUTH ART GALLERY 60 ARTIST FOCUS: KURT JACKSON 62 MAKERS FOCUS: REBECCA RASMUSSEN 64 MEET THE MAKER: CERAMICIST JULIE HARPER 66 VIP: WHITEWATER GALLERY, POLZEATH