Glasgow: Satellite City

Available for 23 days

With little fanfare, Glasgow has transformed itself into Europe's largest producer of small satellites. The city - historically a global shipbuilding hub - is now a centre of expertise for designing and building modular spacecraft that orbit the Earth, and supply services to customers around the world. This growth places Glasgow at the heart of a wider space industry cluster. Nearby businesses are developing rockets, satellite components and data services, while launch sites are being built elsewhere in Scotland, in hopes of creating an end-to-end space sector. Despite this success, some of the sector's leading figures say Glasgow's position is no longer secure, as governments across Europe increase their investment in space. They warn that, without stronger backing, this success story of UK high-tech manufacturing could lose its competitive edge. Presenter: Shiona McCallum Producer: Katie Revell Executive producer: Carys Wall Mix: Joel Cox With thanks to Patrick Wallace A Bespoken Media Scotland production for BBC Radio 4.