Updated By: LatestGKGS Desk
UK Space Agency selects Scottish site in Sutherland for its first spaceport: Details
UK Space Agency selects Scottish site in Sutherland for its first spaceport: Details, Highlights
UK Space Agency has selected site at Sutherland on A’Mhoine peninsula on the north coast of Scotland for its first spaceport to launch rockets vertically and put satellites in orbit.
For the development of this spaceport, UK Government is going to provide $3.3 million funding and will be built with help of a consortium of companies.
Key Highlights
A’Mhoine Peninsula in Sutherland was chosen as the most suitable place from which to launch rockets vertically. The site was selected in part due to its beneficial geography. Rockets can take a direct path from the tip of the Scottish peninsula to above the Arctic Circle.
This is suitable for launching small satellites particularly, which are often placed in polar orbits, circling Earth and passing over the Arctic and Antarctic. It is located on the coast in the sparsely populated area, thus in case of failures rocket will harmlessly fall into the ocean or empty land.
The UK Space Agency has planned its first rocket launch from this spaceport is in the period of early 2020s.
