Britain’s first astronaut was sent into space today, putting the UK space sector under the spotlight.
Tim Peake, an Army aviator and helicopter test pilot, is the first person from the UK to be selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and will head for the orbiting International Space Station.
A sizeable industry has been growing in the UK, now worth around £11bn annually, with the Government looking to hike this to £40bn by 2020.
After that, who knows, the industry, as Buzz Lightyear would say, could go "to infinity, and beyond".
The UK Space Agency aims to grow annual sales, create 100,000 new space jobs and produce £25bn in space-related exports for the UK.
At the forefront of the sector is Airbus (EPA:AIR) and Richard Peckham, space business development director at the European aerospace giant, said: "Our way of life and our economic well-being now depend on services provided from space."
From delivering humans into space, to delivering packages, and the Royal Mail (LON:RMG) is among 20 delivery companies fined by the competition authorities.
Regulators are stamping down on the firms, which had been collectively deciding how much to charge customers for fuel surcharges between 2004 and 2010.
The fees relate only to dealings in France, and the Royal Mail is to pay around a €55.1mln (£40.2mln) fine for its part in the alleged collusion.
By agreeing not to contest the allegations, Royal Mail benefited from a reduction in the fine.
Staying in France, engineering data software firm Aveva (LON:AVV) has failed in a bid to merge with French firm Schneider Electric.
Aveva said the boards of the two companies had been unable to agree a deal and had terminated discussions by mutual consent.
The proposed tie-up with Schneider was first announced in July and involved Aveva buying certain of Schneider's industrial software assets on a debt-free basis.
In the small cap space, Mexico-focused Arian Silver (LON:AGQ) has returned to AIM after a brief hiatus.
The firm began trading this morning having been suspended since the end of October.
Financing talks continue, with the firm expecting to be self-sufficient until February next year, but requiring a cash injection after that.
Speaking of financing, Caza Oil & Gas (LON:CAZA) has been rescued after arranging a US$45mln refinancing that will clear the bulk of its debt but leave existing shareholders with under 3% of the company.
Talara, a private equity fund, is putting up the US$45.5mln and on completion it will own 95.4% of the US shale oil firm with management having 2%.