
Boris Johnson has promised to create “galactic Britain” after announcing that spaceports in Cornwall and Shetland will launch rockets into orbit next year - but the news hasn’t gone down to well online.
As the global space industry is expected to double in size within the next decade and sky-rocket to a value of £490 billion per year, Britain - whose current space industry is employs 45,000 and worth £16 billion - wants in on the action.
According to the prime minister the plan will “create more jobs by putting rocket boosters the size of a Saturn V’s F1 under British space businesses” and lead to “Global Britain becoming Galactic Britain,” The Times reported.
If the plans to create several spaceports follow through, it would cement the UK’s place in space history to become the first country to launch a rocket into orbit from Europe.
“The days of the UK space industry idling on the launch pad are over,” Boris Johnson declared.
However, from the reaction the news has gotten it seems that some people will need convincing, as many have taken to Twitter to troll “galactic Britain.”
It seems there were those who weren’t impressed with the slogan “galactic Britain.”
Galactic Britain. pic.twitter.com/M8dctV9nK1
— Count Binface (@CountBinface) September 28, 2021
“Later in the show… Galactic Britain..with their debut EP..” pic.twitter.com/MPTAXGSkCH
— J.R.Hartley’s Armchair. (@JRsArmchair) September 28, 2021
Galactic Britain. pic.twitter.com/4Iakk1Pubr
— Moray Dad (@MorayDad) September 28, 2021
Galactic Britain… https://t.co/0NL8pRkaSB pic.twitter.com/IIiMgwcJZ5
— The Scarlet Mitch (@MitchellLWell) September 28, 2021
Tired: global Britain
— Dr Alice Lilly (@aliceolilly) September 28, 2021
Wired: galactic Britain
Inspired: supercluster Britain
Radical exit from the world island https://t.co/TNuokUO1v7 pic.twitter.com/6nB4GJ0tec
— ᛉ · 𝕋𝕙𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝔹𝕠𝕝𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕜 · ᛦ (@ThuBol1936) September 28, 2021
watch out universe, Galactic Britain is coming
— Gpoptosis (@Gpoptosis) September 28, 2021
and your stuff is going to the British Museum pic.twitter.com/vly96EOc7L
Exclusive footage of Boris Johnson launching "Galactic Britain". https://t.co/DFZIPgWFim pic.twitter.com/iX2JoqTS0C
— Jon Newton (@MrJonNewton) September 28, 2021
The announcement left many questioning just how the government will be able to launch a rocket in space when the country is currently experience fuel shortages.
we’ve got no fuel how we gonna yeet a rocket into space https://t.co/Zgwg2QD9lQ
— J Λ M Ξ S (@jamesglynn) September 28, 2021
Don't get me wrong, this sounds exciting but following the failure of "Global Britain", I don't think "Galactic Britain" will be a success either. And unless these rockets can restock our supermarket shelves, I'll hold on the excitement. https://t.co/uJu3f0TJeX
— dr obi-wine kenobi (@CaptainIberia) September 28, 2021
is this the same Britain that has run out of petrol? OK just checking pic.twitter.com/kKCJK9xPPl
— Matthew Champion (@matthewchampion) September 28, 2021
Bruv we don’t have petrol and this guys talking about going space, we’re finished https://t.co/1mkVexCphx
— HK (@HKBeats_) September 28, 2021
Presumably these rockets will be powered solely by sovereignty and not, ya know, fuel https://t.co/B9LzfjIZ9M
— Ar (@ar_mu) September 28, 2021
First thought: we have a fuel shortage.
— Fraser (@ALazyStrawberry) September 28, 2021
Second thought: https://t.co/3qVaWIpFst pic.twitter.com/ERORNrMZFc
Lol Britain can't even launch cars out of their driveways... https://t.co/sg9rjVvkV0
— Tezzarose (@tezzamaric) September 28, 2021
Given the current fuel shortage, people thought that sending a rocket into orbit shouldn’t be a top priority, and instead of splashing the cash on this project that the government should use the money to keep the Universal Credit £20 uplift they recently cut.
our ambulances have no petrol https://t.co/flWgk5910Z
— joe🍑 (@joesuxx) September 28, 2021
We can’t afford to feed kids in poverty by keeping the £20 uplift to Universal Credit but we can afford ‘galactic Britain’? https://t.co/T6xVxnp8Qz
— Liam Young (@liamyoung) September 28, 2021
So we according to Boris Johnson, we can afford space rockets to create “Galactic Britain,” but we can’t afford £20 extra a week on Universal Credit to support the poorest in actual Britain
— Laura Tisdall (@LauraTisdall) September 28, 2021
"Galactic Britain" is the sort of cynical drivel from Boris Johnson which should be condemned by anybody with a social conscience. Imagine announcing you're spending billions on rockets at the same time as you're cutting Universal Credit for those who need it!
— Neil Drysdale (@NeilDrysdale) September 28, 2021
Welcome to Tory Britain: we can afford to blast off rockets into space in the name of 'Galactic Britain' but we can't afford to feed hungry children or afford to keep the £20 Universal Credit uplift. Make it make sense.
— Karl Knights (@Inadarkwood) September 28, 2021
I presume this is to bring back cheese from the moon for our hungry school kids? https://t.co/FGvE0d0Qj0
— Durham Whines 🙉🙈 (@DurhamWhines) September 28, 2021
"20 quid a week extra for people on benefits we cant afford tha"
— boycey (@j0emcelr0y) September 28, 2021
"Hehe rocket go zoom" https://t.co/Mh2aIp6Ed3
While others pointed out that “galactic Britain” sounds like a plotline straight out of Doctor Who and the news has reminded fans of an particular plot in the show where a starship “Starship UK” is used to transport most the UK population (except Scotland) and its building - from series five, episode two, titled: “The Beast Below.”
Doctor Who did it first https://t.co/hNy3FhNH44 pic.twitter.com/fxdAOXJDRF
— Ed 🪐 (@erar97) September 28, 2021
Doctor Who predicted it https://t.co/w1TN0knmh4 pic.twitter.com/b5BuHbnDNj
— Brittney Summers lime |ill😷 era 😔 (@DalekBrittney) September 28, 2021
Brexit MEANS BREXIT https://t.co/YhJUgXogou pic.twitter.com/OhKgAc8RoT
— anzu (@anzu_is_online) September 28, 2021
Oh, yes,
— Jo ✨ (@timelessnoble) September 28, 2021
Galactic Britain
Surely what uk people need rn... (no) https://t.co/YmsC3ileBF pic.twitter.com/QIwoRES8Hq
where have i seen this before https://t.co/J9epitSBeN pic.twitter.com/Li3Q25rUer
— luke/moss ⚢ (@bannermanroad) September 28, 2021