UK's First Vertical Rocket Launch License Awarded to SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland

The Shetland Islands in Scotland are now home to the United Kingdom's first spaceport that allows for rockets' vertical launch.

Launch operations will get underway in 2024 at SaxaVord Spaceport on the tiny island of Unst, according to clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as reported by Sky News. It will be Western Europe's first spaceport with a complete license for lifting spacecraft into orbit vertically. It allows as many as 30 launches each year, which is more than enough to send satellites and other cargo into orbit.

rocket launch

(Photo : SpaceX on Unsplash)

The SaxaVord Spaceport

On the grounds of Scotland's first spaceport, various launch operators from around the globe are busy constructing rockets.

Beginning in August 2024, the German rocket company Hylmpulse is expected to try sub-orbital launches, which do not go high enough to reach space. Once 2025 rolls along, SaxaVord Spaceport will presumably host full orbital launches, BBC reported.

Launches into orbit are in the works for Rocket Factory Ausburg (RFA), another German business, after which Lockheed Martin/ABL Space Systems will formally launch the UK Government Pathfinder.

The Edinburgh-based startup Skyrora also plans to make history in the near future by becoming the first British firm to launch from the UK.

The SaxaVord Spaceport, formerly a Royal Air Force radar station, is now owned by Frank and Debbie Strang. When they purchased the property 15 years ago, they intended to use it as an ecotourism destination.

Frank said the granting of the license was a landmark event. "Our team is very proud that the government has entrusted us with operating a complex, multi-disciplinary and multi-launch spaceport, and we all take this responsibility very seriously. There is much to do still but this is a fantastic way to end the year and head into Christmas."

UK's Space Industry

According to Tim Johnson, the CAA's head of space regulation, the licensing of SaxaVord marks a historic point in the background of the UK's space industry. "This marks the beginning of a new chapter for UK space as rockets may soon launch satellites into orbit from Scotland. We are undertaking vital work to make sure the UK's space activities are safe and sustainable for all."

There are around 48,800 employment supported by 2,200 businesses in the UK's space sector, which is believed to be worth £17.5 billion ($22.2 billion). Cornwall Spaceport was the first approved spaceport in the UK, but its rockets are carried and launched horizontally by aircraft.

A financial announcement of over £6.7 million ($8.5 million) was made last week by the UK Space Agency to support Scotland's spaceport aspirations.

Five spaceports are being developed in Scotland, including the Sutherland Spaceport, which aims to launch 12 rockets each year. Moreover, Glasgow Prestwick and Spaceport Machrihanish both want to get into the space race and do horizontal orbital launches in the future.