EDINBURGH, 12th October 2021 (Skyrora PR) — British rocket company Skyrora has agreed a multi-launch deal with the SaxaVord spaceport on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands, as it moves closer to launching its XL rocket in 2022. This is the first agreement Skyrora has made with a Scottish Spaceport. If successful, this could be the first rocket to go to space from the UK. The multi-launch agreement with SaxaVord will run for the next decade, giving Skyrora the ability to build towards their target of 16 launches a year by 2030. 

SOLNA, Sweden (SSC PR) — Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) have signed a EUR 12 million [US $13.9 million] loan agreement for the finalization of a new spaceport at Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, northern Sweden. The 12-year maturity loan will finance the investments to unlock the use of reusable rockets and the ability to launch small satellites into orbit as early as 2022, making Esrange the first major orbital launch site in the EU.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 26, 2021 (Martime Launch Services PR) – Maritime Launch Services Ltd. (“MLS” or the “Company”), owner of Canada’s first commercial spaceport, is pleased to announce that it has selected a number of Nova Scotian firms to advance design and preparations for construction of the launch complex located near Canso, Nova Scotia.

“We have selected a number of local firms across Nova Scotia to support Maritime Launch in building a state-of-the-art, world-class launch complex,” said Stephen Matier, President and CEO of MLS. “With initial financing in hand, we have begun hiring members of our executive leadership team and we are accelerating work so we can break ground on construction of the complex in the fall.” The preparation efforts include work for Strum Consulting, Stantec, Lloyd’s Register, Nova Construction, Lindsay Construction Management, St. Francis Xavier University, and others.

Satellites and rockets could launch from UK soil in 2022, with spaceports planned for Cornwall, Wales and Scotland.

• government paves the way for commercial space launches from UK soil with new regulations
• planned spaceport sites across Great Britain to create hundreds of jobs as we build back better
• regulations provide grounding for new business opportunities such as space tourism from newly established spaceports

LONDON (Department of Transport PR) — Another barrier to space exploration from UK soil is lifted today (24 May 2021), with spaceports expected to be in operation from next summer.

Developed with the UK Space Agency and the Civil Aviation Authority, new regulations being laid in Parliament today will mean satellites and rockets can launch from UK soil for the first time – with spaceports planned for Cornwall, Wales and Scotland.

Shetland Space Centre’s (SSC) plans to build a spaceport on the old Royal Air Force Skaw radar station has been shot down, spelling potential doom for the project and Lockheed Martin’s plans to launch satellites from site in northern Scotland. The Shetland Times reports. Historic Environment Scotland (HES)  said it would cause “extensive and adverse impact on the cultural significance” of Skaw radar station. However, SSC chief executive Frank Strang […]

SpaceNews reports that China plans to construct a fifth spaceport to support the nation’s growing commercial launch sector. The spaceport is included in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, which covers 2021-25. Dou Xiaoyu, a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC), the top Chinese legislative body, and a vice chairperson at China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC), a giant state-owned enterprise, called for a Chinese commercial spaceport project in order to meet […]

Spaceport CamdenFAA Project Status Update The FAA is continuing to develop the Final EIS. As part of that process the FAA has consulted with Federal and state agencies, and their comments are being incorporated into the Final EIS. In addition, the FAA has completed a number of consultations including Section 4f of the Department of Transportation Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (with National Marine Fisheries and US […]

• government on course to legislate for UK spaceflight by the end of this year
• first-ever launch into space from British soil could have lift-off in the early 2020s
• UK spaceflight plans would create high-skilled jobs in an industry worth £14.8 billion, as we build back better from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

LONDON, March 5, 2021 (UK Department for Transport PR) — A giant leap in British spaceflight history is being made today (5 March 2021) as the government publishes its commercial spaceflight consultation response, paving the way for space launches from UK soil.

The same day that rival United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft entered orbit around Mars, Turkey unveiled an ambitious 10-year plan that includes sending an astronaut into orbit and a rover to the surface of the moon. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country’s lunar rover would be launched in 2023 to mark the centennial of the nation’s founding. “We will go to the moon in 2023,” he said. The 10-year […]

GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY (Shetland Space Centre PR) — The creation of a space launch facility in Unst will result in hundreds of new jobs and significantly boost the local economy.

Major planning proposals have now been submitted to Shetland Islands Council on behalf of Shetland Space Centre by town planning consultants Farningham Planning Ltd.