A Scottish company has become the first UK-based rocket firm to receive a space launch licence, in what has been described as a “huge milestone” for the nation’s space sector.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted Edinburgh-headquartered Skyrora permission to launch from the SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland. The licence enables the firm to operate its suborbital rocket, Skylark L, from the site – although the company is still searching for a launch pad, with none currently available at SaxaVord this year.
If a future launch is successful, Skyrora could become the first British company to both manufacture and launch a rocket into space from UK soil. The firm hopes to launch Skylark L up to 16 times annually by 2030, and says the vehicle could provide a lower-cost platform for microgravity experiments compared to orbital missions.
The 11-metre (36ft) single-stage rocket, produced using 3D-printed components made in the UK, is capable of reaching 3.5 times the speed of sound. Skyrora plans for it to reach an altitude of around 310 miles (500km) before returning to Earth – crossing the boundary of space but not placing a satellite into orbit.
Chief executive Volodymyr Levykin described the licensing process as a “long but ultimately rewarding one” and said: “Becoming the first homegrown company in the UK to receive a vertical launch operator licence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Skyrora.
“Safety is paramount to us, and so we are grateful to the CAA for its diligence in ensuring any launch activity is held to the highest of standards.
“Skyrora is proud to be leading efforts that enable launch activity from the UK and we look forward to achieving a reliable commercial launch programme that benefits us all.”
Speaking to the PA news agency before the CAA announcement, Levykin noted that the firm’s launch application was based on SaxaVord but that “there are some room for adjustments and flexibility” given the unavailability of launch pads this year.
He confirmed Skyrora is considering other options, including the position vacated by Orbex at the under-construction Sutherland Spaceport on Scotland’s north coast. “At the moment we’re trying to figure out – what is the legal structure, what is owned, what is not owned? What is the capacity of the current management, the jurisdiction?
“But you take this apart – practically, it’s absolutely do-able because we have the mobile launch concept,” he said.
Skyrora’s mobile launch system could allow the company to operate from multiple sites across Europe with only a few days’ preparation.
In October 2022, Skyrora attempted to launch Skylark from Iceland, but a software fault caused the rocket to fall into the sea shortly after lift-off. The company’s long-term goal is to use its larger 23-metre XL rocket to place satellites into orbit up to eight times per year.
It aims to carry out a first-stage test firing of XL – involving nine engines igniting simultaneously – later this year, though the location is yet to be disclosed.
Rob Bishton, chief executive of the CAA, called the licence “a major milestone for our space sector and our nation”, adding: “Our work as the UK’s space regulator is enabling the burgeoning launch industry to safely grow, bringing new jobs and investment with it.”
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray MP hailed the development as “a massive boost to the whole of Scotland and the wider UK’s space sector”. “I’m very proud that Scotland is at the forefront of such pioneering technology and I look forward to blast off from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland,” he said.
Scottish Government business minister Richard Lochhead described the achievement as “a landmark moment” in Skyrora’s plans to become the first company in the UK to build and launch a rocket into space.
Source: DIGIT