Britain’s first spaceport that could one day take tourists beyond orbit is set to launch its maiden flight in 2020
- The site in Sutherland, north Scotland, could be Europe’s first spaceport
- Developers Lockheed Martin suggest the project is running ahead of schedule
- It is hoped the UK will launch an estimated 2,000 satellites by 2030
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Britain’s first spaceport will launch its first rocket in 2020, according to developers at US firm Lockheed and Martin, which is developing the site.
The project in Sutherland, on Scotland’s north coast, is running well ahead of schedule.
It will initially host launches of rockets and satellites, but commercial passenger trips could then follow, handing adventurous Brits the chance to pay for flights to space.
The announcement comes after research warned Scotland’s plans to build Europe’s first spaceport risked being overtaken by similar projects in Scandinavia.
Lockheed Martin had previously said Scotland’s first launch was scheduled for the ‘early 2020s’.
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Britain’s first rocket launch from Sutherland, on Scotland’s north coast, is now set for 2020, according to US firm Lockheed Martin, which is developing the project.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT BRITAIN’S FIRST SPACEPORT?
The UK Space Agency has selected Sutherland, on Scotland’s north coast, as the site for Britain’s first spaceport.
The site is being developed by US aerospace and defence behemoth Lockheed Martin.
It will launch satellites and rockets into space as early as 2020.
The port will tie in with Scotland’s already burgeoning satellite industry.
Outside of the United States, Scotland produces more satellites than any country.
The space industry supports 20,000 jobs in Scotland.
The Sutherland project is under pressure from similar bids in Scandinavia.
Experts suggest that the first Northern European site to launch satellites will hold a significant stake in the global space industry.
Northern Europe is the ideal spot to launch satellites and other space gadgets into polar orbits – trajectories that pass over both of Earth’s poles.
The orbital paths offer constant sunlight for solar-powered batteries as well as clear transmission signals to Earth for satellites.
Scotland’s A’Mhòine peninsula, in Sutherland, is one of several locations vying to build a spaceport in the region, with rival bids also launched in Norway and Sweden.
The UK Space Agency believes European competition would heavily hamper Scotland’s efforts to become a world leader in satellite launches.
Research commissioned by the agency warned last week that the success of the project hinges on it being the first to send satellites to space.
‘The UK must be first to market to ensure the long-term success of the launch programme,’ the consultancy Frost & Sullivan said in a business case.
‘First-mover advantage will be significant in the short and mid-terms as there will not be many such business models in operation.’
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Outside of the United States, Scotland produces more satellites than any country, with the space industry supporting 20,000 jobs in the region.
The UK Space Agency hopes that building a spaceport will cement Britain’s position as a world leader in satellite technology.
Figures published by agency suggest the UK could compete to launch an estimated 2,000 satellites by 2030.
The project in Sutherland, on Scotland’s north coast, is running ahead of schedule, according to US firm Lockheed Martin, which is developing the site
A spokesperson said last week: ‘The demand for small satellite launch is forecast to increase rapidly over the next decade.
‘Commercial providers believe it is important to move quickly to meet this demand.’
Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a space expert who presents The Sky At Night on BBC Four, believes the Sutherland spaceport could provide a boost to the UK economy.
She said: ‘Small satellites really are a global winner and many countries are latching on to them.
‘It’s going to be a small, compact and bijou spaceport, but it’s going to do a lot and it’s going to make a lot of difference, especially to the UK economy because now we’ll have an end-to-end system.
The new spaceport will host launches of rockets and satellites, while the framework for passenger trips is yet to be developed. Pictured is the launch of Russia’s Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft in December 2017, carrying members of the International Space Station
‘We already build our own satellites but we will launch our own satellites, and we will use the data from our own satellites.
‘The data itself is worth billions because countries around the world want to know what’s happening in their neck of the woods.
‘This is a much smaller spaceport, with smaller rockets, which means we can turn it round quite quickly.
‘The space industry is moving away from these big, lumbering, large satellites to quick turnaround satellites, perhaps something that university students can take from an idea to building a satellite within 18 months and have the capability to launch it from the UK and get the science and the data they want really quickly.’
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