Britain will set up a new space agency next month to exploit an industry that appears to have defied the recession and shows huge potential for growth, the government said on Tuesday. The UK Space Agency will oversee the development of satellites, robotics and other advanced technology and may one day join international missions to explore Mars, the Moon and asteroids. Britain's space industry has traditionally focused on satellites and robotics rather than manned space flight. However, Britain supports a European Space Agency mission that aims to send humans to Mars by the middle of this century in what would be the most ambitious endeavour in the history of space exploration. British scientists worked on the Apollo Moon missions and a handful of Britons have flown in space. Based in the town of Swindon, the new agency's official launch is on April 1.
