Site between Tongue and Durness could be up and running by early 2020s

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This article is more than 1 year old

A peninsula on Scotland’s north coast has been chosen for the site of the UK’s first spaceport.



Vertical rocket and satellite launches are planned from the A’Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland which the UK Space Agency said would pave the way for spaceflights.

The agency said the site, between Tongue and Durness, was chosen as it is the best place in the UK to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), a Scottish government agency, will be given £2.5m from the UK government to develop the spaceport which could be up and running by the early 2020s.

Sutherland is the first verical launch site to be awarded grant money, ahead of other vertical sites at Unst, Shetland, and North Uist in the Western Isles.

The government also announced a new £2million development fund for “horizontal launch” spaceports across the UK at sites such as Prestwick in Ayrshire, Cornwall’s Newquay, Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute and Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales, subject to a successful business case.

The cash is aimed at boosting their suborbital flight, satellite launch and spaceplane ambitions.

The space agency says the spaceflight market is potentially worth £3.8bn to the UK economy over the next decade.

Agency chief executive Graham Turnock said the spaceport grant would “help kick-start an exciting new era for the UK space industry”.

The consortium behind the Sutherland spaceport proposal includes US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin.

The HIE chief executive, Charlotte Wright, said: “The decision to support the UK’s first spaceport in Sutherland is tremendous news for our region and for Scotland as a whole.

“The international space sector is growing and we want to ensure the region is ready to reap the economic benefits that will be generated from this fantastic opportunity.”</s>Image copyright Perfect Circle Image caption Artwork: This is what a Scottish spaceport could look like in the early 2020s

A remote, boggy stretch of land on the north coast of Scotland is set to become the UK's first spaceport.

The A'Mhoine Peninsula in Sutherland has been chosen as the most suitable place from which to launch rockets vertically to put satellites in orbit.

The UK Space Agency is giving Highlands and Islands Enterprise £2.5m towards the development of the facility.

HIE will work closely with a consortium that includes the American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.

The goal would be to have launches as early as possible in the 2020s.

The Scotland money is part of a package of grants to foster UK launch capability that was announced by Business Secretary Greg Clark at the Farnborough International Air Show.

He told the event: "We are one of the best countries in the world for the research, development, manufacturing and application of satellites - big and small. And when we see the expansion that is taking place, and the requirement that these satellites need to be launched into orbit - there is an obvious opportunity here for the UK and it must be grasped."

Mr Clark detailed a total of £33.5m in grants from a reserved pot of £50m to help drive forward proposals.

Lockheed will get the lion's share at £23.5m. The company wants to bring the Electron rocket to Scotland. Currently, this vehicle flies out of New Zealand.

A British version of the rocket would have a propulsion unit and satellite dispenser developed and built at Ampthill in Bedfordshire, Harwell in Oxfordshire, and in Reading.

Patrick Wood is Lockheed Martin's senior executive in the UK. "As a country we've not invested in launch vehicles since 1971 and Black Arrow, which put up the Prospero satellite. I'm really proud to be working with the Lockheed Martin team and our partners in delivering the the first launch from British soil," he told BBC News.

Image caption The Electron launch vehicle currently flies from New Zealand

HIE will develop the launch complex at A'Mhoine, with Lockheed using one pad, and a second pad likely to go to Orbex. This is a new company that has been developing a 17m-tall rocket out of the public eye.

On Monday, however, the firm was very forward in discussing its plans, which have now been backed through a UK Space Agency grant to the tune of £5.5m.

"We will be putting a new factory into Scotland where we will be doing the main production and integration of the vehicles. The vehicles will then be transported to Sutherland," explained Orbex CEO, Chris Larmour. "Internally, I don't think we realised just how big today is because we've been focussed on technical tasks. But this morning at the show, I think we're beginning to realise just how big a moment this is."

The UK government has been mulling the idea of home spaceports for a decade now, and has updated the legislation that would make them possible.

While the headline news focussed on Scotland and the launch of rockets from the ground, £2m has also been released to further investigations into the siting of a "horizontal launch" spaceport as well.

This would see a modified aeroplane leave a British runway, climb to altitude somewhere out over the ocean and then release a rocket that can put the satellite in orbit. A number of such systems are presently in development.

Image copyright CORNWALL COUNCIL Image caption A partnership agreement will be signed between Cornwall Council and Virgin Orbit

One making waves at the moment is owned by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson. His Virgin Orbit company, based in Long Beach, California, has converted an old Virgin Atlantic 747 to dispense its LauncherOne rocket - a maiden flight for which is imminent.

Cornwall, in particular, is very keen to have Virgin Orbit operate out of Newquay airport. The council and the California company signed a partnership agreement at the air show. A first mission is being targeted for 2021.

"Cornwall is showing ambition," said Adam Painter, the leader of the council. "Years ago we sent miners around the world; we led the world in mining. That industrial time has gone but for Cornwall - we see that we have a number of new areas that we could excel in and space is one of them."

Why is this important?

The UK is in a unique moment. Having pioneered the development of small satellites, through companies such as Surrey Satellite Technology Limited and AAC Clyde Space, it has put itself right at the crest of a new wave. The use of off-the-shelf, low-cost, miniaturised consumer electronics is revolutionising satellites. It is now possible to put enormous capability inside a very small box. Having spaceports would allow UK industry to offer the full "turn key" product to their customers - from design, to build, to launch. The whole package.

Image copyright Scottish Government Image caption AAC Clyde Space in Glasgow produces about 80 small satellites a year

What sort of satellites?

Everything you can imagine. Satellites to monitor the weather, to relay communications, and to take pictures of activity on Earth. Small satellites can do all this and they tend to operate in polar-type orbits. That is, they circle the Earth a few hundred kilometres up, passing over the Arctic and the Antarctic. The north of Scotland is therefore ideally situated in this respect. Rockets would fly north, through the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and Svalbard. If there were launch failures, nothing would fall on populated land.

What sort of rockets?

I've mentioned three vehicles already that could fly from the UK - the Electron, Orbex and LauncherOne. But there are 60-plus small launch vehicles in development around the world. A few of these others are also based in the UK, and they will regard a home spaceport as a great fillip to their endeavours.

What happens next?

Keep an eye on the clock. Time is short for the UK if it wants to capture a significant share of the nascent small launch market. UK regional authorities and rocket operators are going to have to move fast if they want to avoid the opportunities drifting away to other countries. There is a big responsibility on government, too. It has updated legislation but many details still need to be tied down, such as liability rules and safety requirements. If these are made too onerous, it will put up the price of launching satellites. The cost per kilogram-to-orbit has to be competitive.

Chris Larmour told BBC News: "If we weren't in the position we are today with the components being fired, tested and running already - that window would not be possible for us; and I think that window is closing for people who are not in that degree of readiness."

Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos</s>A tiny peninsula on the tip of Scotland’s north coast could be the place where the UK officially enters the space race. The A’Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland has been chosen by the UK Space Agency as the potential location for the UK’s first spaceport. The agency said the site, between Tongue and Durness, was chosen as it is the best place in the UK to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will be given £2.5 million from the UK Government to develop the spaceport which could be up and running by the early 2020s.

The UK’s first spaceport would allow the launch of small vertical rockets into low-Earth orbit. With the rise in private spaceflight, and seeing the success of companies like SpaceX, there’s been an increasing demand for small powerful rockets that can launch small communications satellites into orbit at a low cost. The remote site would act much like a normal airport does, providing the infrastructure that would allow private firms to launch their rockets safely into space. What types of rockets would it launch? Sadly you’re not going to be seeing the kind of large spacecraft that we see launch from one of NASA’s many launchpads in the US. Instead the UK’s spaceport will become the home of smaller rockets that can quickly and cheaply launch scientific experiments, small communications satellites into orbit. At the moment a number of companies have got behind the spaceport including the US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin which wants to bring its Electron rocket to Scotland.

In addition UK-based rocket builder Orbex has said that it has received some £30m in public and private funding to help it launch its Prime rocket from the Scotland-based spaceport. In much the same way that small companies are innovating in the arenas of self-driving cars and flying taxis, so too is Orbex hoping to revolutionise the way we launch rockets into space. Its Prime rocket cuts carbon emissions by 90% compared to conventional launches and it also contains a unique launching system that it claims leaves zero orbital debris or ‘space junk’. When will the spaceport open? This announcement isn’t a confirmation that diggers can start moving in. Instead it’s £2.5m of funding to help the Highlands and Islands Enterprise actually get the project started. From there it’s hoped that private companies such as Orbex and Lockheed Martin can then help in the development of the site. The government’s not hanging around either, it hopes to open the spaceport within the next five years with launches taking place in the early 2020s. Will there be more spaceports in the UK? In short, yes. While Sutherland will be the first conventional rocket pad in the UK there are plans to convert existing airports into new ‘horizontal’ spaceports in future. The Government has announced an additional £2m to help develop sites in Prestwick, Newquay, Cammpbeltown and Llanbedr. A horizontal spaceport launches spacecraft via a conventional plane which takes off, reaches an extremely high altitude and then launches the rocket from there. This piggyback approach reduces the cost by taking the spacecraft some of the way already using a conventional aircraft.

One such organisation that’s already investing heavily in this approach is Virgin Orbit which uses a converted Boeing 747 to piggyback its LauncherOne rocket into orbit. The space agency said the spaceflight market is potentially worth £3.8 billion to the UK economy over the next decade. Agency chief executive Graham Turnock said the spaceport grant would “help kick-start an exciting new era for the UK space industry”. Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “As a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs, we want Britain to be the first place in mainland Europe to launch satellites as part of our Industrial Strategy. “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.” The consortium behind the Sutherland spaceport proposal includes US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin. HIE chief executive Charlotte Wright said: “The decision to support the UK’s first spaceport in Sutherland is tremendous news for our region and for Scotland as a whole. “The international space sector is growing and we want to ensure the region is ready to reap the economic benefits that will be generated from this fantastic opportunity.”</s>The UK Space Agency has chosen a location to build Europe's first spaceport in Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland.

The new proposed spot for the spaceport is on the A'Mhoine Peninsula, which is remote, boggy and largely uninhabited. According to the UK Space Agency, it's the best place in the UK to use vertically launched rockets to put satellites in orbit.

The first step in creating the spaceport will be to develop the vertical launch site in Sutherland. The UK Space Agency will be giving Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) £2.5 million for this initial stage of the project, which the UK government says "will use a combination of proven and innovative rocket technologies to pave the way for a world-leading spaceflight market."

If all goes according to plan, this initial launch site could pave the way for future spaceflight and be up and running by the early 2020s. HIE will then work closely with space tech companies, like US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, to begin launching rockets.

Lockheed Martin plans on bringing its Electron rocket to the Sutherland spaceport, which currently flies out of New Zealand.

One giant leap for the UK?

The news comes less than a week after the Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall announced the launch of several new projects with the European Space Agency (ESA) that'll further bolster the UK's role as a major player in the space industry.

Furthermore, the UK government announced a £2 million development fund to build more spaceports at sites in Prestwick in Ayrshire, Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute and Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales. At present, these sites are currently working on spaceport plans and engaging with regulators about the possibilities of developing horizontal launch sites.

Finding ways to get low cost access to space is important for the UK.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “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.

“This will build on our global reputation for manufacturing small satellites and help the whole country capitalise on the huge potential of the commercial space age.”

According to the UK Space Agency, the spaceflight market could be worth £3.8bn to the economy over the next decade. Especially considering it builds more small satellites than any other country - with Glasgow constructing more than any other city in Europe.

Main Image: An artist's impression of a vertical launch from the proposed spaceport. Credit: Lockheed Martin/Gov.uk.</s>A peninsula on Scotland's north coast has been chosen as the location for the UK's first spaceport.

Vertical rocket and satellite launches are planned from the A'Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland with the UK Space Agency saying it would pave the way for space flights.

The agency said the site was chosen as it is the best place in the UK to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.

The UK government will provide STG2.5 million ($A4.5 million) to develop the spaceport which is hoped will be operational by the early 2020s.

Sutherland is the first vertical launch site to be awarded grant money, ahead of other vertical sites at Unst, Shetland, and North Uist in the Western Isles.

A STG2 million development fund was also announced for horizontal launch spaceports across the UK at sites such as Prestwick in Ayrshire, Cornwall's Newquay, Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute and Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales, subject to a successful business case.

The space agency said the spaceflight market is potentially worth STG3.8 billion to the UK economy over the next decade.

Agency chief executive Graham Turnock said the spaceport grant would "help kick-start an exciting new era for the UK space industry".

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: "As a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs, we want Britain to be the first place in mainland Europe to launch satellites as part of our Industrial Strategy.

The consortium behind the Sutherland spaceport proposal includes US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin.</s>A peninsula on Scotland’s north coast has been chosen for the site of the UK’s first spaceport

Vertical rocket and satellite launches are planned from the A’Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland which the UK Space Agency said would pave the way for spaceflights.

The agency said the site, between Tongue and Durness, was chosen as it is the best place in the UK to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will be given £2.5 million from the UK Government to develop the spaceport which could be up and running by the early 2020s.

Sutherland is the first verical launch site to be awarded grant money, ahead of other vertical sites at Unst, Shetland, and North Uist in the Western Isles.

The Government also announced a new £2 million development fund for horizontal launch spaceports across the UK at sites such as Prestwick in Ayrshire, Cornwall’s Newquay, Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute and Llanbedr, Gwynedd, Wales, subject to a successful business case.

The cash is aimed at boosting their sub-orbital flight, satellite launch and spaceplane ambitions.

The space agency said the spaceflight market is potentially worth £3.8 billion to the UK economy over the next decade.

Agency chief executive Graham Turnock said the spaceport grant would “help kick-start an exciting new era for the UK space industry”.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “As a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs, we want Britain to be the first place in mainland Europe to launch satellites as part of our Industrial Strategy.

“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.”

The consortium behind the Sutherland spaceport proposal includes US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin.

HIE chief executive Charlotte Wright said: “The decision to support the UK’s first spaceport in Sutherland is tremendous news for our region and for Scotland as a whole.

“The international space sector is growing and we want to ensure the region is ready to reap the economic benefits that will be generated from this fantastic opportunity.”

Read more: Scotland in ‘strong position’ to host first UK spaceport</s>Scotland has been chosen to host UK's first spaceport After several years of study and consideration, the British government announced July 15 that it will start development of a new spaceport in northern Scotland, while an English airport signed a deal that could also lead to launches from its facility. In a statement issued in advance of the start of the Farnborough International Airshow, the agency said it selected the site “because Scotland is the best place in the U.K. to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.” The site supports rocket launches for spacecraft operating in sun-synchronous or other highly inclined orbits. It's official! Funding awarded to vertical launch spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland. Innovative horizontal launch IndustrialStrategy FIA18 LaunchUK 2CV35mDmfi — UK Space Agency (@spacegovuk) July 15, 2018 There was some mention of an announcement possibly being made at the Farnborough 2018 Airshow, but it was unconfirmed at the time. And while today's announcement gives very few details about the facility or what company or companies may be using it, we do know that launches are expected to begin in the early 2020s. “As a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs, we want Britain to be the first place in mainland Europe to launch satellites as part of our Industrial Strategy,” said Business Secretary Greg Clark “This will build on our global reputation for manufacturing small satellites and help the whole country capitalize on the huge potential of the commercial space age.” Charlotte Wright, the chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, on hearing the announcement said, “The decision to support the U.K.’s first spaceport in Sutherland is tremendous news for our region and for Scotland as a whole. The international space sector is growing and we want to ensure the region is ready to reap the economic benefits that will be generated from this fantastic opportunity.” We have officially boldly gone! We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Virgin_Orbit to offer horizontal launch services from Newquay_Airport by 2021. ToBoldlyGo Launch2021 MosYnHardh VirginOrbit CosmicGirl LauncherOne x5BFmmu8LY — Spaceport Cornwall (@SpaceCornwall) July 15, 2018 But, there is more to the story The British government has actually been looking at existing airports that could support flights of suborbital vehicles or air-launch systems. However, looking at new sites for vertical launches gave the government Scotland and possibly the Shetland Islands. But, besides the funding for the Scotland site, the British government will also offer 2 million pounds to support the development of horizontal launch sites “subject to business case.” One such site under consideration is Cornwall Airport Newquay in southwestern England. On July 15, officials at Cornwall Airport Newquay announced they were entering into a partnership with Virgin Orbit that will allow that company’s air-launched LauncherOne system to operate from the airport, dubbed Spaceport Cornwall. That agreement will be signed at Farnborough on Monday. “The announcement of a strategic partnership between Virgin Orbit and Cornwall Spaceport is great news for the region and the U.K.’s ambitions for regular, reliable and responsible access to space,” said U.K. Science Minister Sam Gyimah in a statement from Spaceport Cornwall. “This partnership could see Virgin Orbit’s innovative horizontal launch technology helping the U.K.’s small satellite industry access space from the convenience of a Spaceport in Cornwall.” Space agency chief executive Graham Turnock said this great news is all part of the "kickstart of an exciting new era for the U.K. space industry, and this is only the beginning of our LaunchUK campaign." And that all this is happening in concert with the Farnborough 2018 Airshow will certainly make the UK shine. The A'Mhoine Peninsula - a remote and boggy patch of land on the north coast of Scotland has been chosen as the most likely spot for the spaceport, reports the BBC. Highlands and Islands Enterprise , the Scottish Government's economic and community development agency will be given £2.5 million ($3.3 million) towards the development of the facility, the U.K. Space Agency announced.In a statement issued in advance of the start of the Farnborough International Airshow, the agency said it selected the site “because Scotland is the best place in the U.K. to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.” The site supports rocket launches for spacecraft operating in sun-synchronous or other highly inclined orbits.There was some mention of an announcement possibly being made at the Farnborough 2018 Airshow, but it was unconfirmed at the time. And while today's announcement gives very few details about the facility or what company or companies may be using it, we do know that launches are expected to begin in the early 2020s. More information is expected on July 16 at the airshow, that will include information on additional grants that will be available.“As a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs, we want Britain to be the first place in mainland Europe to launch satellites as part of our Industrial Strategy,” said Business Secretary Greg Clark in a statement. “The U.K.’s thriving space industry, research community and aerospace supply chain put the U.K. in a leading position to develop both vertical and horizontal launch sites.”“This will build on our global reputation for manufacturing small satellites and help the whole country capitalize on the huge potential of the commercial space age.”Charlotte Wright, the chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, on hearing the announcement said, “The decision to support the U.K.’s first spaceport in Sutherland is tremendous news for our region and for Scotland as a whole. The international space sector is growing and we want to ensure the region is ready to reap the economic benefits that will be generated from this fantastic opportunity.”The British government has actually been looking at existing airports that could support flights of suborbital vehicles or air-launch systems. However, looking at new sites for vertical launches gave the government Scotland and possibly the Shetland Islands.But, besides the funding for the Scotland site, the British government will also offer 2 million pounds to support the development of horizontal launch sites “subject to business case.” One such site under consideration is Cornwall Airport Newquay in southwestern England.On July 15, officials at Cornwall Airport Newquay announced they were entering into a partnership with Virgin Orbit that will allow that company’s air-launched LauncherOne system to operate from the airport, dubbed Spaceport Cornwall. That agreement will be signed at Farnborough on Monday.“The announcement of a strategic partnership between Virgin Orbit and Cornwall Spaceport is great news for the region and the U.K.’s ambitions for regular, reliable and responsible access to space,” said U.K. Science Minister Sam Gyimah in a statement from Spaceport Cornwall.“This partnership could see Virgin Orbit’s innovative horizontal launch technology helping the U.K.’s small satellite industry access space from the convenience of a Spaceport in Cornwall.”Space agency chief executive Graham Turnock said this great news is all part of the "kickstart of an exciting new era for the U.K. space industry, and this is only the beginning of our LaunchUK campaign." And that all this is happening in concert with the Farnborough 2018 Airshow will certainly make the UK shine.</s>A peninsula on Scotland’s north coast has been chosen for the site of the UK’s first spaceport.

Vertical rocket and satellite launches are planned from the A’Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland which the UK Space Agency said would pave the way for spaceflights.

The agency said the site, between Tongue and Durness, was chosen as it is the best place in the UK to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will be given £2.5 million from the UK Government to develop the spaceport which could be up and running by the early 2020s.

Sutherland is the first verical launch site to be awarded grant money, ahead of other vertical sites at Unst, Shetland, and North Uist in the Western Isles.</s>The lure of commercial riches in space is spurring a variety of plans to help launch all the components necessary for a fully functioning orbital economy. The latest to enter this private-sector race is the UK, which announced Monday that it plans to construct the nation’s first commercial vertical launch spaceport in northern Scotland. Lockheed Martin Corp was awarded $31 million for two UK projects: Establishing vertical launch operations in Sutherland and a development program slated for Reading to deploy a new “delivery vehicle” to deploy as many as six small satellites.

Orbex Ltd, a London-based firm that develops launch vehicles for small satellites, was awarded $7 million to devise a new rocket to use at the site in Sutherland. The deals were announced at the Farnborough Air Show. The UK is a “geographically strategic location for launch” with its northern latitudes, and well-placed to reach polar and near-polar orbits, the UK Space Agency said. Most commercial launches today are from Florida and French Guiana, where NASA and the European Space Agency operate, respectively, due to their proximity to the equator. These offer easier access for satellites bound for geostationary orbit.

Parliament passed the Space Industry Act earlier this year, aiming to help the nation capitalize on the burgeoning commercial interest in space. Supporters say the effort will bring new jobs and billions of pounds to the UK economy. The government has also allocated a 50 million pounds ($66.2 million) fund to help further the industry. “We are committed to supporting a commercial market for access to space in the UK, and we will continue to engage with any company who seeks to operate here,” Graham Turnock, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said in a statement.

Also Read: Russia launches first rocket from Vostochny spaceport at second attempt

On the other side of the Atlantic, this modern pursuit of space riches has spurred new spaceport plans across America, from Georgia to Colorado, Alaska to Guam In Canada, a firm called Maritime Launch Services Ltd is planning the country’s first commercial spaceport in eastern Novia Scotia, with an initial launch planned in 2021. The launch infrastructure boom raises questions about the speed and scope of commercial activities in space. The world is likely to see thousands of new commercial satellites of all varieties in future decades, given steep declines for both launch and satellite costs. Yet it remains unclear how most satellite operators will get to space, or from where, not to mention the size of the market and how many commercial spaceports may be required.

To date, US regulators have licensed 10 commercial spaceports, including Spaceport America in southern New Mexico, where Virgin Galactic plans to launch its customers—horizontally, from an aircraft—for pleasure rides into space. Billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are also planning launch facilities in Texas for their growing space businesses. “Europe’s first one-stop-shop for building, launching and operating satellites.” US and British officials will soon begin formal talks on a deal to establish “legal and technical safeguards to support US space launch vehicles” to be used in the UK, the UK Space Agency said. Such an agreement would make it easier for US companies to launch from a British spaceport.

Also Read: NASA plans to build a spaceport on the Moon

The UK produces almost half of the small satellites and about a quarter of the world’s telecommunications satellites, according to the space agency. With the new spaceport, “the UK will become Europe’s first one-stop-shop for building, launching and operating satellites,” the agency said.

For all the latest Technology News, download Indian Express App</s>According to the space agency, Scotland's Sutherland was selected for the vertical launch site to be developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

"As a nation of innovators and entrepreneurs, we want Britain to be the first place in mainland Europe to launch satellites as part of our Industrial Strategy. 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," Greg Clark, the UK Space Agency business secretary, announced at the airshow, as cited by the agency's press release.

READ MORE: Farnborough Show: May to Vow to Retain UK's Leading Status in Aerospace Industry

In 2014, the agency's chief executive, David Parker, announced that the United Kingdom was planning to start building its own spaceport in 2018, with eight potential sites, most of the military airfields, to choose from.
The UK Space Agency announces that the country's first spaceport will be located in Sutherland, northern Scotland, with the first launches potentially taking place in the early 2020s.