King Charles launches UK Space Agency Project Nova in Bermuda

The King will bring his visit to Bermuda to a close by officially launching the UK Space Agency's (UKSA) Project Nova, an initiative aimed at tracking space debris. Charles will visit the site of a new UKSA observatory on the island to learn about the project, which will oversee the installation of a global network of telescopes across five sites, helping to monitor old satellites, rocket stages and other objects orbiting the Earth . On his final day in Bermuda, the King will also officially open the new Great Bay Coast Guard Station, where he will be briefed on the Royal Bermuda Regiment's Coast Guard's vital role in protecting the island's territorial waters and preserving its marine environment. He will also get a first-hand look at two new pieces of cutting-edge technology being deployed by the regiment – unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Young people taking part in the Junior Leader programme will share their experiences of the scheme, and before departing, the King will present operational service medals to five regiment members in recognition of their dedication to protecting the island. On Friday evening, the King attended a garden party, telling guests: "I am told to my amazement it is also the first time in Bermuda's four-hundred-year history that the islands have received a reigning King. "I am terribly sorry it has taken so long!" The occasion was held at Government House, where the King has been residing throughout his three-day stay. The venue has been so recently refurbished that he remarked to guests that it still smells of fresh paint. Lifting a glass in honour of Bermuda at the garden party, the King declared: "I need hardly say that Bermuda, like all the Overseas Territories, is a most cherished and important member of the British family – with a friendship as solid as this so-called 'Rock'." Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the King's visit by clicking here.