Prestwick Spaceport ready to accelerate launch hub plans
Representatives from Prestwick Spaceport are to meet with stakeholders from across the global space industry, commerce, academia and government at this week’s Farnborough International Airshow.
And the aim is to accelerate plans to become Europe’s premier space launch location.
Prestwick Spaceport will have a major presence alongside partners with Space Scotland as part of a dedicated Space Zone at the world’s biggest airshow at Farnborough (18-22 July).
The spaceport, which this week welcomed senior representatives from Houston Spaceport and Rice University in the United States, has secured more funding than any other UK spaceport development with a long-established aerospace cluster at the forefront of technology and innovation, featuring companies such as BAE Systems, Collins Aerospace, GE Caledonian and Spirit AeroSystems.
The project is currently focused on leveraging its transport links and proximity to key satellite manufacturers in Glasgow in order to create more than 4,000 new jobs in Ayrshire.
In September 2021 Prestwick Spaceport signed a landmark MOU deal to accelerate Scotland’s space industry ambitions in partnership with Astraius, the leading UK based, commercially operated horizontal ‘air launch’ company.
Prestwick and Astraius are both attending Farnborough International Airshow and are expected to further develop plans in response to the growing demand for satellite launch services for the UK and around the globe.
Prestwick Spaceport’s upcoming milestones include finalising plans for its second public consultation, working with UK regulators on its launch licence application, attracting inward investment, developing supply chain opportunities and delivering local educational outreach initiatives. A key ambition for Prestwick Spaceport is to promote the importance of inspiring the next generation and recently outlined its plans to encourage young people to consider a career in Scotland’s space sector, which already employs more people per capita than anywhere else in the UK, through the creation of an outreach campaign entitled A New Hope. The plans include the making of a short film to be made available to schools in collaboration with Skypath – a careers initiative from South Ayrshire Council’s Economy and Regeneration service – and the University of the West of Scotland.
Through the Ayrshire Growth Deal, £80 million is being invested at Prestwick, securing its status and future as a global aerospace and space hub.
Matthew Archer, Director of Commercial Spaceflight for the UK Space Agency said: “Prestwick Spaceport is at the centre of a growing aerospace cluster which has the potential to support thousands of high-quality jobs.”