Have you ever dreamed of seeing Earth from space? Do you want to feel the thrill of discovering something new? Do you want to be an integral part of a multi-trillion-pound marketplace?
Q Magazine recently caught up with Vör-TechX co-founder Chris Jones, who has nurtured a vision of education leading to exploration and resource-harvesting in space. Our children, and the students of Teesside, are the space engineers and explorers of tomorrow!
Vör-TechX is setting up an educational board and wants to engage in partnerships and collaborations with like-minded individuals, companies and public-sector bodies to get the Vör-TechX vision into local schools. As Chris explained, for him Vör-TechX is the culmination of four decades of dreams, learning, experience and passion. Since he saw the moon landing on television he has wanted to see Earth from space himself.
In his business life Chris has led global teams who have worked together to achieve apparently unachievable goals.
His passion is to enable individuals and businesses to get into space, which he sees as the next great frontier with unmeasured opportunity. The wave of private-sector commercial involvement in space has been building for 50 years. He firmly believes that space is no longer in the sole preserve of governments and is driven by this spur to the early vision and passion.
What does Vör-TechX hope to do?
We need to excite young people, aged seven to 11, about the opportunities that space can bring them in their lifetimes.
We are targeting this age group initially as they will likely be the ones at the forefront of exploration. We aim to put what children learn in the National Curriculum into a space context and real science. To accomplish this, we are developing a computer game that can be played both in the school environment and at home.
The game will be science-focused, fun, aligned with the National Curriculum and, again, show how space can provide inspiration for engineers and scientists. Vör-TechX will use space as a focal point for inspiring participation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects.
Is it just about space education and advocacy?
Not at all. Vör-TechX has a broader outreach role and will provide ‘thought-leadership’ on how best to harness the limitless potential of the space environment.
These ideas will be at the forefront of solving the energy and resource problems on Earth.
We are working with Teesside University and Durham Fire Department on an AI (artificial intelligence) research-enabled search-and-rescue tool that has space-based applications.
Vör-TechX is involved in developing the exciting opportunities emerging from the exploration and exploitation of space.
With the passing of new space legislation earlier this year, and the exciting prospect of rockets being launched into space from the UK by 2020, there has never been a better time to work in the space industry.
The exploration of space is leading to exciting opportunities across a range of manufacturing industries and tech firms.
The North East, with its tradition of innovative and skilled manufacturing, is well placed to capitalize on this new wave of space activity.
To enable this, Vör-TechX has brought together some of the leading figures in the northern space industry.
We have the ambitious goal of laying the foundations for establishing the UK, and the North East in particular, as a key hub for space activity while improving the quality of life for everyone on Earth.
Who are the team behind Vör-TechX?
A key advisor and one of the co-founders of Vör-TechX is Christopher Newman, professor of space law and policy at Northumbria University in Newcastle, who is advising on the latest legal and policy developments in the space sector.
Prof Newman has published extensively on space governance and made numerous TV and radio appearances as an expert on space law and policy issues. He has also acted as a consultant on space law matters to commercial law firms and blends academic expertise with an awareness of the practicalities of working within the space sector.
Heading up the team is Chris Jones, who has three decades experience in the aerospace, automotive and defence sectors.
Chris is a proven entrepreneur and throughout his career has worked within the space industry and technology sector.
With practical experience of bringing high-concept, high-technology projects to fruition, Chris Jones is one of the leading wealth creators in the region. Other team members include the North East Industrial development adviser David Dixon and Alison Rider-Hill, the business process and games design lead.
What is next for Vör-TechX?
Vör-TechX is committed to making a massive impact in this growing sector here in the North East.
Chris Jones of Vör-TechX
