SaxaVord Spaceport facts for kids
site on Lamba Ness
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| Location | Lamba Ness, Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom | ||||||
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SaxaVord Spaceport, also known as Shetland Space Centre, is a place in the United Kingdom where rockets will launch into space. It is located on the Lamba Ness peninsula. This area is on Unst, which is the most northern island in the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland. The spaceport is close to an old RAF Saxa Vord radar station and the village of Skaw.
Contents
History of SaxaVord Spaceport
Early Plans and Rocket Companies
Lockheed Martin, a large company, might launch satellites from this spaceport. They plan to use rockets like the RS1 from ABL Space Systems. These rockets are 27 meters tall. They can carry heavy items, up to 1000 kilograms, into a special orbit. This is called a Sun-synchronous orbit, where satellites always see the sun. The UK government is helping this project with £23.5 million in grants.
HyImpulse Technologies, a rocket company from Germany, also wants to use this site. They planned to test their rocket engines and do suborbital flights by late 2021. They hoped to launch rockets into orbit by 2023.
In October 2021, Skyrora signed a deal to launch satellites from SaxaVord. They plan to send satellites into orbit over the next ten years.
Building and Developing the Spaceport
Plans for the spaceport were sent to the Shetland Islands Council in January 2021. These plans allow for up to 30 rocket launches each year. The proposal includes three rocket launch pads on the Lamba Ness peninsula. It also suggests other buildings like a satellite tracking station, rocket hangars, and places to put rockets together.
The plans also include a control center at the old RAF Saxa Vord complex. Fuel storage facilities would be at Ordale Airport. Roads leading to the launch site would also be improved.
Overcoming Challenges for the Spaceport
On March 29, 2021, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) did not approve the development. They were worried it would damage an important historical site. This site was a Chain Home radar station at Skaw. Building on a scheduled monument without permission is against the law. This caused concerns about whether the spaceport project could continue.
However, in January 2022, HES changed its mind. They said they understood the good things the spaceport would bring to the community in Unst. This meant the project could move forward.
Recent Agreements and Licenses
In January 2023, the German company Rocket Factory Augsburg signed a multi-year agreement. This deal gives them special access to the northernmost launch pad, called Launch Pad Fredo. They planned to test their RFA One rocket in mid-2023. The first launch was set for late 2023.
In May 2023, Frank Strang, the CEO of the spaceport, announced new funding. He said they had secured $137 million. The source of this money was not shared.
On July 28, 2023, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) gave HyImpulse permission to launch its SR75 rocket. This first launch from SaxaVord was allowed between December 1, 2023, and November 30, 2024.
On December 17, 2023, the CAA announced that SaxaVord had received a spaceport license. This license allows up to 30 launches per year. This made SaxaVord the first fully licensed vertical spaceport in Western Europe.
In April 2024, the spaceport also received a range license from the Civil Aviation Authority. In May 2024, Rocket Factory Augsburg's RFA One rocket performed an engine hotfire test at the spaceport site.
See also
- Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden
- Sutherland spaceport
- Space industry of Scotland
