British Space Agency drawing up plans to fly us to the UK in 90 minutes

Forget those 17-hour Qantas flights to London. Plans are being drawn up to get us to the UK before we’ve even finished our in-flight movie.

The UK Space Agency has confirmed it’s drawing up rules for Europe’s first spaceport — and it could fly us between Australia and the UK in 90 minutes.

Suborbital spacecraft, which are undergoing tests in the US, could be operating from a base in Cornwall, in southern England, in the early 2020s and provide tourist flights into space and 90-minute journeys between England and Australia.

A spaceport will also be built in the Scottish Highlands, The Sun reported.

The regulations are being drawn up now to allow suborbital human spaceflight from the spaceports on Virgin Galactic spacecraft within the next decade.

Flights from the Newquay-based spaceport will be available to fee-paying passengers, who will be able to experience feeling weightlessness.

An artist's impression of the proposed spaceport in Cornwall, UK.

“For Britain to be the first spaceport in Europe to be able to offer that service because we have the legislation in place, because we’ve sorted out our infrastructure, that will be huge,”

British astronaut Major Tim Peake, 47, said.

Best of all, Major Peake said space tourism would not be just for the rich.

“It’s a very exciting time right now,” he said. “Space tourism can come under some criticism as a sport for the rich, but that’s how a lot of things start, that’s how aviation started.”

Major Peake was speaking after the UK Space Agency confirmed it was drawing up regulations that would allow suborbital human spaceflight.

The agency has offered up $14.25 million for the spaceport project, while Cornwall Council has opted to provide up to $21.78 million in funding — subject to approval by full council.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit company has signed an agreement to use Spaceport Cornwall as the site for its LauncherOne system and Cosmic Girl aircraft.

A spaceport is also planned in the Scottish Highlands, and Virgin Atlantic is set to operate the tourist flights.

Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne can launch satellites into space. Picture: Virgin Orbit

The UK Government is working with the United States to establish the necessary technical and legal safeguards.

“We are very proud to play a role in bringing space launch back to Britain with a revolutionary new level of flexibility and responsiveness,” Virgin Orbit chief executive Dan Hart said.

Julian German, leader of Cornwall Council, said: “Cornwall is the birthplace of innovation and technology and space is a key part of a 21st century economy.

“With assets like Spaceport Cornwall, world-class mission control facilities at Goonhilly Earth Station and superb digital connectivity, Cornwall can play a vital role in the growth of the global space economy.”

Andrew Kuh, from the UK’s Space Agency, said Britain hoped to be the first to pull off the incredible feat.

“The Space Industry Act 2018 has already put in place the legal framework,” he said.

“We’re hoping to have the right regulations in place so that we could launch from Britain.”

It currently takes around 17 hours to fly direct between Perth to London on Qantas Dreamliner flights.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission