British Space Programme News Today

A British astronaut could walk on the Moon for the first time by 2025, Nasa officials have told the UK Government.

A British astronaut could walk on the Moon for the first time by 2025, Nasa officials have told the UK Government.

The first orbital launch in the United Kingdom was a failure. However, the team behind it remains optimistic, read on to know what they achieved in the failed mission.

MailOnline explains exactly what did - and what didnt - happen last night, from the takeoff at Newquay to the moment we received the news of the devastating failure.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said the government will work closely with Virgin Orbit to investigate the failure of last nights launch from Spaceport Cornwall.

A former Virgin passenger plane is scheduled to take off from Newquay Airport tonight, before heading out to the Atlantic and dropping a rocket that will fly nine satellites into space.

History was made in the UK tonight as the first-ever orbital space launch took off from Cornwall. A plane had been modified to release a Virgin Orbit rocket carrying nine small satellites into space.

Virgin Orbits space plane took off from Newquay Airport at 22:02 GMT and is currently on its way out to the Atlantic, where it with drop a rocket that will then blast into orbit with a payload of nine satellites.

Virgin Orbits repurposed 747 jumbo jet took off from Cornwall shortly after 22:00 GMT and about an hour later dropped a 70-ft long rocket from its belly which then blasted into space.

How exactly will the launch work, what is being fired into orbit and could humans one day travel to space from Spaceport Cornwalls Newquay Airport base? MailOnline has all the answers.