Official News - page 7

REAL LIFE NEWS: LONDON JOINS THE SPACE RACE

by Hazed

London plans to invest in sending a satellite into orbit to cut out the need for mobile phone masts. The city plans to spend 12 million UK pounds (about 19 million dollars), with other regional bodies in the south-east of England also chipping in to share the cost.

The satellite is due to be launched in 2011 on a European Space Agency rocket., probably from French Guiana.

As well as providing the communication links, it could also be used to monitor motorists from space. Inner London is subject to a "congestion charge" where motorists who enter or drive inside the city during the day on weekdays have to pay eight pounds. It's currently controlled by a ring of security cameras covering all the roads into the city, but the spying eye in the sky could enhance or replace those. This would also tie in with the UK government's rather draconian plans for tracking motorists throughout the country in order to charge them for the privilege of driving on all roads. Sigh – Big Brother really is here!

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