SPACEPORT HOPES BLOW
Airfield loses to Scottish rival but could still get horizontal launch cash:
SNOWDONIA has missed out on the chance to be the home of the UK’s first ever spaceport. The UK Space Agency was considering Llanbedr Airfield for its first vertical launch site, but has instead chosen Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland as its preferred location.
But it’s not all bad news as space travellers could still blast off from Gwynedd in the future.
The UK Space Agency will still look at using the Gwynedd airfield for horizontal launches being developed for spaceplanes with a new £2m fund up for grabs.
Business Secretary Greg Clark said yesterday that Scotland is the best place in the UK to reach in-demand satellite orbits with vertically-launched rockets, and £2.5m will go to the Highlands and Islands Enterprise to develop the site in Sutherland.
However, Snowdonia could still have “significant potential” in a future UK spaceflight market, which could attract investment from companies all over the world: sites such as Newquay, Glasgow Prestwick and Snowdonia will be boosted by a new £2m fund to grow their sub-orbital flight, satellite launch and spaceplane ambitions.
Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling said: “The space sector is an important player in the UK’s economy and our recent Space Industry Act has unlocked the potential for hundreds of new jobs and billions of revenue for British business across the country.
“Today’s announcement is exciting for places like Newquay in Cornwall too, paving the way for further potential space ports in the future.”
The £50m UK Spaceflight Programme is also considering leading proposals for horizontal spaceplane operations from across Britain, submitted as part of its call for low cost access to space.
Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said: “The UK Government has an exciting ambition to take the UK into the commercial space age by enabling small satellite launch and spaceflight from UK spaceports.
“Wales now has an exciting window of opportunity to take a leading role in shaping that future.
“We have the right geography and a skilled engineering base, in aerospace, electronics and the software industries, standing ready to diversify and to flourish in the fast-developing space market.
“The opportunities are vast – for Britain’s strategic capabilities and for Wales in terms of job creation, cross-border synergies through the Northern Powerhouse, linking to our strong academic institutions and the potential economic impact. We must now stand ready to grasp them.”