Shetland's SaxaVord Spaceport given crucial safety licence

SaxaVord Spaceport, which is on the northern tip of the Shetland Islands, will be allowed to clear and control a hazard area downrange of the launchpad to reduce the risks to aircraft and shipping.

A site at the northern-most part of the Shetland Islands has become the UK's first licensed spaceport for vertical rocket launches.

The CAA has already given SaxaVord a licence for its ground operations.

Colin Macleod, head of UK space regulation at the CAA, said the licence was vital for protecting public safety before and during launches.

"It's a remote location with a relatively narrow range for launching northwards," he said.

"The size [of the safety zone] will depend on the size of the rocket and how likely it is to fail, as well as the trajectory. The time of day can also affect how much traffic is there."

The spaceport hopes to launch 30 rockets each year. Its position on the northern tip of the UK makes it ideal for putting satellites and other payloads into an orbit that passes over the north and south poles.

The last piece of the regulatory jigsaw ahead of the first launch will be a licence for the rocket manufacturer.

The first launch is likely to be by German company Rocket Factory Augsburg.

It's aiming for a maiden flight in August for its 30-metre RFA One rocket, carrying a satellite for the German Aerospace Centre.

Several other companies are aiming to launch from SaxaVord in 2025 and beyond.

Sky News was recently given rare access to Skyrora's factory near Glasgow, where one such rocket is rapidly taking shape.

'We are now preparing to make more space history'

Frank Strang, CEO of SaxaVord Spaceport, said: "Satisfying such a crucial piece of the regulatory process affords everyone the comfort that we will always operate in a safe and proper manner under the watchful eye of the regulator.

"As Western Europe's only fully licenced vertical launch spaceport, we are now preparing to make more space history with the beginning of orbital launch operations well under way."

SaxaVord will be the UK's second launch site.

Spaceport Cornwall was the first licensed operator, but was built on the premise of using aircraft to carry rockets aloft from Cornwall Airport Newquay. Its one and only launch so far, by Virgin Orbit, ended in failure.

Spaceport Sutherland, on the Scottish mainland, is also under construction.

-sky news