Liz Truss, in her book "Bank Job", claims Britain could have launched several missions to Mars by 2040 had she remained Prime Minister. The claim is wedged in the chapter titled "2040", where Truss sketches a future in which the UK’s SaxaVord spaceport and other planned launch sites fire rockets toward the Red Planet.
The two spaceport projects—SaxaVord in the Shetlands and a planned site in Cornwall—are still in the planning and construction phases. Neither has yet performed a single launch, let alone a crewed Mars mission, and the UK Space Agency has not announced any new funding for such projects.
Truss’s vision is part of a broader narrative that she believes her short tenure prevented. She served only 49 days, resigning amid a financial crisis triggered by her September 2022 mini‑budget. Critics say her economic policies caused a sharp sell‑off in government bonds and a spike in inflation.
The book has drawn sharp criticism. The Daily Telegraph called it "the most deranged thing I’ve ever read", while the Financial Times compared its tone to her proposals to abolish the United Nations. The review echoes a broader backlash against Truss’s political legacy.
Truss’s recent book also revisits her economic attacks, arguing that the Bank of England and other institutions bore the brunt of her downfall. She claims that decisions by such bodies exacerbated the turmoil that followed her tax cuts.
While Truss’s Mars ambition remains speculative, the UK Space Agency continues to focus on satellite launches and low‑cost access to orbit. No immediate policy shift is announced, and the next steps are likely to involve further debate over Britain’s future role in space exploration.