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The Eagle has Llandudno

British space tourists could be blasting off from a remote Welsh village within three years

Tiny town of Llanbedr hopes to become Britain's answer to Cape Canaveral

BRITISH space tourists could soon be blasting off from a remote field in Wales on a pleasure trip into the heavens.

Welsh space chiefs hope the tiny village of Llanbedr will become Britain's answer to Cape Canaveral.

 A view from the summit of Mount Snowdon, in Snowdonia National Park
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A view from the summit of Mount Snowdon, in Snowdonia National ParkCredit: Getty Images
 Artist's impression of a British space port
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Artist's impression of a British space port

It's hoped that space tourists will be blasting off from the space port as soon as 2020.

But the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre - set among the mountains of North Wales - needs planning permission from Gwynedd Council and Snowdonia National Park Authority.

If given the go-ahead, it then needs financial backing to put down a launch pad for small satellites and sub-orbital flights.

 Could a tiny Welsh village with a population of just 645 become the British equivalent of Cape Canaveral?
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Could a tiny Welsh village with a population of just 645 become the British equivalent of Cape Canaveral?Credit: Getty Images

Chief executive Lee Paul, said: "Our Snowdonia Spaceport team was well received at the Space Agency event in London, and we are excited to have the support of the private sector and look forward to exploring new opportunities with interested parties.

"The past 18 months have been about creating the right operating environment and establishing a world-class facility.

"Completing the first phase of investment has prepared us for the future and we hope that new developments in 2017 and beyond will mean that Snowdonia Aerospace Centre is even more appealing to world-wide investment."

If approved then the Snowdonia Spaceport will be built on the existing airfield near the tiny village of Llanbedr.

The UK government is set to decide next year on where Britain's first spaceport will be, with eight sites including North Wales in the running.

Llanbedr has some tough competition from towns including Newquay, Cornwall, which was recently named as a possible site for the space port. 



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