Lift-off in Shetland Islands for UK's first vertical spaceport

SaxaVord Spaceport aims to begin rocket launches next summer

Saxavord spaceport
SaxaVord is one of three UK launch sites vying to become Europe's leading space hub
(Image credit: Geography Photos/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

A former RAF base on the remote Shetland island of Unst has become Western Europe's first licensed spaceport capable of launching rockets vertically.  

The SaxaVord Spaceport, located on the northernmost island of the Shetland archipelago, has received a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to begin launching rockets from next year.

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SaxaVord is one of three UK launch sites "vying to become Europe's leading spacehub", said Space.com

Another contender, the Sutherland Spaceport, located on the A'Mhòine peninsula on the north coast of Scotland, is still awaiting a licence. 

Scott Hammond, deputy chief executive of SaxaVord, told The National that while there are no current missions scheduled, next summer should be "achievable" to host the site's first launch. "I think we will be putting up satellites that will go up and grab old satellites and get them out of orbit so as to decrease space waste," Hammond said.

According to Sky News, husband and wife Frank and Debbie Strang, who have owned the site since 2004, "also have plans for a hotel and visitor centre".

Frank Strang told the broadcaster the UK was "right at the head of the European Space Race". 

"I see it as akin to the ascent of Everest by Hillary," he said. "It makes a statement, it creates a feelgood factor and it shows the world the UK is very serious about the space economy."

Arion McNicoll is a freelance writer at The Week Digital and was previously the UK website’s editor. He has also held senior editorial roles at CNN, The Times and The Sunday Times. Along with his writing work, he co-hosts “Today in History with The Retrospectors”, Rethink Audio’s flagship daily podcast, and is a regular panellist (and occasional stand-in host) on “The Week Unwrapped”. He is also a judge for The Publisher Podcast Awards.