This week has been a big week in space, both 220 KM up in orbit and also in a galaxy far, far away.

Unless you have been hibernating under a very remote rock with a truly awful wi-fi connection, you will be aware that this week marks the latest instalment in the Holy Grail of space epics – Star Wars. Filmed in Britain’s Pinewood Studios, fans have been gleefully awaiting the latest instalment in the deep space saga, and nearly 40 years after the original film, reviews are beginning to emerge after last night’s premier that they were not left disappointed.

Big news also this week is of a local lad made good. Tim Peake of Salisbury blasted off for the International Space Station on Tuesday. The ex-helicopter pilot – with American Tim Kopra and Russian Yuri Malenchenko – launched on a Russian Soyuz rocket at Baikonur, landed from Kazakhstan on Wednesday without a hitch.

Tim Peake set off this week for a galaxy far, far away.

Tim Peake set off this week for a galaxy far, far away.

Peake is the first official UK astronaut. Previous “British” astronauts have either had US citizenship and worked for NASA or have been privately funded. On the International Space Station, Tim will conduct experiments as well as carrying out educational activities designed to get young people interested in science. He will hopefully get to look out of the window as well.

Tim’s journey into space has been a source of great national pride over the weeks leading to his departure. Often overshadowed by our American counterparts, our home grown space adventure got Sarum thinking about where Britain fits in the bigger world of space, and engineering.

We certainly don’t get a look-in compared with the headlong progress over at Elon Musk’s Space X in California, just one of the U.S companies spearheading the private space industry. Sarum can’t help but think that in 5 years time, Tim would probably have been hitching a lift in the rather luxurious Space X Dragon 4 seater module to get up to the Space Station, not a rickety old Soyuz warhorse! Indeed, space tourism has passed most of us by, leaving Richard Branson signing up punters in the glitzy world of Virgin Galactic based in the Mohjave desert, California. But in Blightly, we think that if you dig a little deeper, it is clear that Britain is still a major player, particularly in the satellite business where our ingenuity has a much bigger impact on everyday lives for people throughout the world. We design and manufacture many of the world’s satellites, as well as contributing some 10% of the European Space Agency Budget. The City of London billion dollar business Inmarsat runs one of the largest networks of communication satellites in the world, concentrating on mobile telephony.

Elon Musk & Space X recently unveiled Dragon

Elon Musk & Space X recently unveiled Dragon

In 2016, look past the hubris of Galactic and Space X to ponder how many successful satellite launches are British manufactured payloads. As for us, at Sarum we will remain focused on cheering on Peake (and watching Star Wars). Good Luck Tim, the nation is behind you and the force is definitely with you.

www.sarum-hydraulics.co.uk