Lift-off! Green light for Scottish spaceport – and seven rocket companies line up to use it

Sarah Knapton

25 April 2024 at 1:00 am·3-min read

SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst may see its first launch in the autumn

Seven rocket companies are applying to launch from Scotland, the Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed as it gave the final green light to spaceport operations on the island of Unst at the tip of the British Isles.

The SaxaVord Spaceport was granted its range control licence, which will allow it to clear sea and airspace and monitor rockets in flight, on Thursday.

The SaxaVord team is hoping to begin testing this year and could make a full orbital launch in the autumn, in what would be the first vertical launch in Europe.

Colin Macleod, head of UK space regulation at the CAA, said there had already been widespread interest in lifting off from Britain.

Each rocket company also needs its own licence before final permission for launch is granted.

“We have seven companies at different stages of the application process to launch from Scotland,” he said at a briefing.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that they are all ready to launch, ready to operate.

“Most companies who are looking to launch in Scotland and the UK more widely haven’t launched anywhere else in the world.

“They are developing their rockets and their missions in parallel to the regulatory approval that they need.”

Success in Shetland would be a huge boost for Britain’s space ambitions, following the catastrophic horizontal launch of Virgin Orbit from Cornwall in January 2023, which led to the company filing for bankruptcy.

The 20-acre spaceport is a former Second World War air force base and, more recently, a listening post during the Cold War.

SaxaVord was founded by Frank and Debbie Strang, who had initially hoped to turn the former Cold War RAF base into an eco-resort for nature lovers and birdwatchers.

‘We are preparing to make space history’

The Strangs changed direction in 2017 after a feasibility study by the University of Leicester suggested it was the perfect spot to launch from Britain because of its easy access to polar orbit and its remote location.

Mr Strang, chief executive of SaxaVord Spaceport, said: “This is a vital component in our preparations for launch.

“Satisfying such a crucial piece of the regulatory process affords everyone the comfort that we will always operate in a safe and proper manner under the watchful eye of the regulator.

“As Western Europe’s only fully licensed vertical launch spaceport, we are now preparing to make more space history with the beginning of orbital launch operations well under way and the first launch expected to be in Q3 of this year.”

German-based Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is expected to be the first to launch from site while Edinburgh-based Skyrora is also keen for an early lift-off.

HyImpulse co-chief executive Christian Schmierer and Robin Huber, SaxaVord business development manager. - SaxaVord/PA

Lockheed Martin is also hoping to launch its UK’s Pathfinder mission from the site, while HyImpulse, which is based near Stuttgart, announced earlier last year that it was planning a programme of orbital rocket launches from SaxaVord from late 2025, with sub-orbital test flights this summer.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Today’s announcement is an important next step for SaxaVord as it prepares for the first commercial vertical space launch in the United Kingdom.

“It is vital that launches are safe for everyone involved, which is what this range licence will ensure – enabling SaxaVord to continue supporting skilled UK jobs and help grow the economy.”

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‘We are preparing to make space history’

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