Brexit putting British scientists at risk of becoming bit-part players, warns report

Participation in prestigious projects ranging from an Antarctic mission to a major satellite programme is now in doubt, a report from Prospect finds

British scientists risk being reduced to bit-part players in some of the most ambitious projects of the next decade, a report has warned.

The findings by the union Prospect on the implications of Brexit for science highlight a number of prestigious projects where British participation is now in doubt. These include a planned Antarctic mission to drill the oldest ice core ever obtained, the most ambitious Earth observation satellite programme to date, and a European mega project to investigate the potential of nuclear fusion as a clean, sustainable energy source.