https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/highlands-give-scotland-a-boost-into-the-space-race-0knxnrrm9Highlands give Scotland a boost into the space race
Lockheed Martin consortium backs a site in Sutherland as Britain’s first base for launching rockets into orbit
A remote peninsula on Scotland’s north coast could be the launchpad for Britain’s space ambitions after plans emerged for a rocket base in Sutherland.
A consortium that includes Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace firm, believes that the A’Mhoine peninsula, between Dounreay and Cape Wrath, is the best location in Britain for a facility from which satellites can be cata- pulted into orbit on the back of 20m rockets.
A detailed proposal has been submitted to the UK Space Agency (UKSA), which has met the Highland council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
The HIE raised the idea of the rocket base last year.
The UKSA is understood to support the A’Mhoine proposal and believes that satellite technology can boost the economy amid a thirst for improved communication that can only be provided from space. The space agency boldly aims to capture 10% of the global space market, which is expected to be worth £400bn by 2030.
The Scottish facility — which would be the first to launch a rocket into orbit from the UK — could be operational by 2020 and generate more than £1bn over a decade.
Paul Davey, of the Lockheed Martin UK space programme, said: “We have submitted a proposal for grant funding into the UKSA satellite launch programme, the outcome of which will be known this summer. This follows more than two years of dialogue with the relevant Scottish agencies.”
The Space Industry Bill, recently introduced into the House of Lords, will be debated this week. It aims to license space activities and offer grants totalling £10m for consortia that want to launch satellites — or even manned space flights — from British soil.
While several sites are under consideration as space tourism hubs, including Prestwick in Ayrshire and Virgin Galactic’s Machrihanish in Argyll, launching satellites on behalf of the military, government and private industry offers the quickest, cheapest way to kick-start the country’s space ambitions.
The UKSA confirmed that the government “is not selecting a single national spaceport”.
“Our aim is to grow new markets in the UK for small satellite launch and sub- orbital flight, that might support multiple service providers or spaceports.”
The plan is reminiscent of the 1957 film Rockets Galore, in which a British military commander is tasked with investigating a launch base on a Scottish island.
Sources claim the A’Mhoine base would have a “modest” impact on the environment and pose no threat to public safety as spacecraft would be launched vertically over the Pentland Firth.
Up to eight rocket launches could be made a year, with each capable of carrying a 150kg payload*. This could include many as 12 small cube satellites that could be dropped into a 575-mile orbit above Earth.
It is envisaged that as the number of satellites grows, they can be linked to form powerful data-gathering “constellations” to aid scientific research and boost telecommunications.
The proposal is, however, likely to meet opposition, especially as an access road would have to be built across iconic wild land.
Helen McDade, head of policy at John Muir Trust, the conservation charity, pointed out that land around the proposed facility was designated as a national scenic area and noted for rare species such as greenshank and eagles.
HIE said the rocket proposal would involve “widespread public consultation” and be scrutinised.
The Scottish government said: “Scotland has a proud history in the design and building of satellites and we will consider all opportunities to expand this further.”
--
* Which rocket would this be if not Electron? Athena I / II has a bigger payload.
4 Likes
