First UK-based firm gets space launch licence

A Scottish company has become the first UK-based rocket firm to receive a space launch licence.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence allows Skyrora to launch from the SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.

If a future launch is successful, the company could become the first British company to manufacture and launch a rocket into space from the UK.

Skyrora welcomed the news. Both the Edinburgh-based company and the CAA described it as a "huge milestone".

The license will allow the firm to launch and operate its suborbital rocket Skylark L from the spaceport.

It hopes to launch the rocket up to 16 times a year by 2030.

A number of companies hope to use SaxaVord in Unst, the northernmost point in the UK, as a launch site for commercial rockets.

In January, German firm Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) was awarded the first launch operator licence allowing it to launch rockets from SaxaVord.

Skyrora says Skylark L has the potential to be used for microgravity experiments at a lower cost than an orbital vehicle.

The 11m (36ft) tall rocket was produced using components that were 3D-printed in the UK and it is capable of reaching 3.5 times the speed of sound.

It is hoped that the rocket would reach an altitude of about 310 miles (500km) and then return to Earth, which would involve passing into and out of space.

Rob Bishton, the chief executive of the CAA, said: "Granting a home-grown company, Skyrora, its launch licence is a major milestone for our space sector and our nation.

"Our work as the UKs space regulator is enabling the burgeoning launch industry to safely grow, bringing new jobs and investment with it."

Skyrora chief executive Volodymyr Levykin said the journey to getting the license was a "long but ultimately rewarding one".

He added: "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."

Scottish Secretary Ian Murray MP called the news "a massive boost to the whole of Scotland and the wider UKs space sector".

He added: "Im very proud that Scotland is at the forefront of such pioneering technology and I look forward to blast off from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland."

The SaxaVord Spaceport is a former RAF radar station.

Last year, during a test known as a hot-fire, an engine exploded at the site.

It resulted in a some damage to the launch platform and completely destroyed the engine.

The space industry in the UK is estimated to be support tens of thousands of jobs.