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British-built satellite deliberately crashed into Atlantic in world first | UK News

Aeolus, a British-built weather-monitoring satellite, has been deliberately crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

It is the first time a satellite has been guided to perform an assisted crash on Earth, the European Space Agency (ESA) said.

Aeolus has been providing data to weather centres across Europe since 2018, and was the first satellite mission to acquire profiles of Earth’s wind on a global scale.

It was due to be in orbit for three years but outlasted its mission by almost two more.

The 1,360kg craft was built by Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage.

Aeolus. Pic: European Space Agency
Image:
Pic: European Space Agency

Under normal circumstances, it would have fallen back to Earth naturally, burning up in the planet’s atmosphere after reaching an altitude of about 50 miles.

Instead, it was guided to its final resting place by mission controllers at the ESA, using what little fuel remained onboard.

Aeolus had been falling from its operational altitude since 19 June and performed its first major re-entry manoeuvre on 24 July.

Simulations by the agency suggest some debris may survive the heat of the planet’s atmosphere, although the risk of it causing any damage is said to be small.

The ESA said: “The Aeolus mission control team in Germany is now wrapping up after a long week of complex operations.

“They have done everything they planned in what is a first-of-its-kind assisted re-entry.”

Aeolus. Pic: European Space Agency
Image:
Pic: European Space Agency

Dr Jenifer Millard, an astronomer and co-host of the Awesome Astronomy Podcast, said that “nowadays, when satellites are put up, there has to be some sort of mechanism on board to help them come back through the atmosphere safely”.

Alternatively, they have to “entirely burn up in our atmosphere”, she told Sky News.

Dr Millard said the successful return of Aeolus was a “huge achievement to help us manage space debris”.

About 20% of the craft may have survived re-entry, Dr Millard said, amounting to a few hundred kilogrammes.

It is a boost for the UK space industry, she added.

“We are pioneering, we are world-leading in this,” she said.

Virgin Atlantic suspends gender-neutral uniform policy for England World Cup flight to Qatar | UK News

Virgin Atlantic suspended a policy allowing its crew to choose gender-neutral uniforms on its flight taking England’s World Cup football squad to Qatar.

The airline said the decision followed a “risk assessment… considering laws and attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community and expressions of identity”.

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar under Islamic Sharia law, and there have been concerns about the conservative country’s treatment of LGBTQ+ tourists attending the tournament.

England’s World Cup squad left their St George’s Park HQ to set off for Qatar on Tuesday.

Their flight from Birmingham was believed to be on an Airbus A350 plane called “Rain Bow” – a symbol of LGBT+ pride.

A Virgin Atlantic A350 Airbus, featuring Rain Bow ahead of departure at Birmingham airport. The plane called 'Rain Bow' is believed to be carrying the England's World Cup squad to Qatar. Picture date: Tuesday November 15, 2022.
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Virgin Atlantic plane at Birmingham airport taking England’s World Cup squad to Qatar

In a statement, Virgin Atlantic said “We’re proud our leading Gender Identity Policy allows our people to express themselves through uniform choice.

“Following a risk assessment, it was recommended the policy was not applied on today’s charter flight to ensure the safety of our people.”

Virgin Atlantic introduced a “fluid” approach in September, allowing staff the option of wearing its red or burgundy uniforms based on “how they identify or present themselves”.

A Virgin Atlantic A350 Airbus, featuring Rain Bow ahead of departure at Birmingham airport. The plane called 'Rain Bow' is believed to be carrying the England's World Cup squad to Qatar. Picture date: Tuesday November 15, 2022.
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A Virgin Atlantic A350 Airbus featuring Rain Bow at Birmingham airport

An ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar recently described homosexuality as “damage in the mind”. Khalid Salman told a German public broadcaster that being gay was “haram”, which means forbidden in Arabic.

England skipper Harry Kane is one of several national captains who plan to participate in the “OneLove” campaign during the tournament. Players will wear a rainbow-coloured armband to campaign against discrimination.

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Wales were also making the trip to Qatar on Tuesday for the country’s first appearance at the tournament in 64 years.

Wales' Matthew Smith departing for Qatar from Cardiff airport, Wales. Picture date: Tuesday November 15, 2022.
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Wales’ players arriving at Cardiff Airport

Jets of water were squirted over the Wales team’s plane as it departed from Cardiff Airport.

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Wales Departure for Qatar - Cardiff Airport, Cardiff, Wales, Britain - November 15, 2022 An arc of water washes over the Wales team's flight as they depart for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs
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An arc of water washes over the Wales team’s flight as they depart for the World Cup

Wales and England are in the same group for the tournament, and will face each other in two weeks.