UK Government Seeks Additional Advice on Spaceport Locations

Credit: CAA

The UK Department of Transport has launched a consultation concerning the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) identification of eight potential locations for the nation’s first spaceport.

The CAA’s findings include key operational, safety, meteorological, environmental and economic criteria for selecting a suitable site for a spaceport. These include:

• an existing civil or military aerodrome which has a runway which is, or is capable of being extended to, over 3000m in length;
• could accommodate segregated areas of airspace to manage spaceflights safely; and,
• is located away from densely populated areas in order to protect the uninvolved general public.

Based on its criteria, the CAA has identified eight existing coastal aerodromes which are potentially feasible locations for a UK spaceport.

This consultation seeks views on the criteria identified by the CAA as key and whether there are any other factors or criteria that should be considered in supporting a site for a spaceport in the UK.

We are also seeking views on the eight potentially feasible locations which the CAA has identified based on its criteria. In particular, whether any of these locations should be disregarded and why? And also, whether other locations should be considered further.

At this stage we are not consulting on local communities’ and stakeholders’ preferences regarding a potential spaceport in any of these locations; we will ensure that the views of local people are taken into account and seek their buy-in to any proposed location that may be identified before any decisions are taken to proceed with a UK spaceport.

We are not consulting on the highly technical aspects of the CAA’s report. Rather, we are seeking views on the strategic position to be adopted by government on the location of a spaceport.

The consultation period began on 15 July 2014 and will run until 6 October 2014.

For information on how to respond, download the consultation here.