With space recently dominating many of the film industries greatest hits in Britain, think Star Wars and Avengers, it’s nice to hear that we are least starting to explore our own. Specifically, we will do so via the UK Space Agency awarding £2.5 million in funding for a vertical launch spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland.
Even more specifically, the money has been given to Highlands and Islands Enterprise who aim to work in conjunction with BBC Notes, the US aerospace company and Lockheed Martin, in order to get things up and running by the early 2020’s. However, it doesn’t stop there as the rocket-building company Orbex, has raised £30 million to launch brand new satellites from the new spaceport into space while the government will offer an additional £2 million in development funds for horizontal launch sites in Glasgow Prestwick, Cornwall, and Snowdonia.
The Business Secretary Greg Clark had this to say: “The UK’s thriving space industry, research community and aerospace supply chain put the UK in a leading position to develop both vertical and horizontal launch sites.”
