King Charles declared 'the force is with us' as he officially launched a new space observatory in Bermuda, operated by the UK Space Agency (UKSA). The site, part of the £40 million 'Project Nova', will track harmful space debris and asteroids.
The King toured the facility on the north west coast of Bermuda, chosen for its unique position with minimal light pollution. The first phase involves three telescopes capable of spotting objects smaller than a Rubik's Cube in low Earth orbit.
With satellite numbers soaring from a few hundred a decade ago to over 12,000 today, and expected to exceed 100,000 by 2030, experts warn of a potential Kessler Effect—a cascade of collisions that could devastate global communications.
Charles's Sustainable Markets Initiative granted the project its 'Terra Carta' seal, part of his Astra Carta framework for sustainable space exploration. During a debris demonstration, he asked: 'So how much damage is going on up there?'
Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, said: 'This location is so important because there's no light pollution... Increasingly, the world is recognising that space debris is a big problem to our satellite infrastructure.'
Before unveiling a plaque, Charles revealed he had commissioned a garden based on planetary movements, adding: 'It's so interconnected really, in all forms. So as they say, the force is with us.'
