The UK’s first vertical rocket launch spaceport is set to formally open in the Shetland Islands.
SaxaVord Spaceport, occupying a former military station on the Lamba Ness Peninsula of Unst, will officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
It follows a successful test of rocket engines last week which marked a new milestone for the project.
German-based Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) said on Monday that the first stage of its hot-fire test campaign at SaxaVord Spaceport had “run without issue”.
RFAThe company said it demonstrated it can operate the necessary systems as it prepares for its first test flight.
A launch at the site is hoping to go ahead for August, by German based firm Rocket Factory Augsburg.
SaxaVord Spaceport was granted a “range licence” in April, which will allow the company to control the sea and airspace during launch.
Rocket Factory Augsburg could be the first to launch an orbital mission from Shetland by the end of the year.
The spaceport’s construction has cost £48m so far, with a hotel and restaurant also planned for the site.
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