Spaceport launches open day
For the first time, Discover Space UK will open its doors to the public when it hosts a community open day at Spaceport Machrihanish.
The event on Saturday June 25 at Machrihanish Airbase will feature rocket launches, local produce, workshops and music.
The open day will showcase 11 rocket launches as part of the Mach-22 Student Launch Competition and Skills Conference.
The rockets and satellites have been designed by 11 university teams who are travelling to the west coast of Scotland from all over the UK to launch their designs.
Standing at over a metre tall, the rockets will soar up to 2.5km, eject the satellites there and then parachute back to the ground, collecting lots of interesting data.
Open day attendees will be able to purchase produce from local businesses and charities which will set up stalls on the old military airbase grounds and take part in space-themed activities.
Live music will be provided by Scottish charity Music Broth, showcasing talent from Kintyre and further afield.
Until now, Discover Space UK’s activities at the Sound of Kintyre have remained a mystery to locals.
This unique event organised by Discover Space UK, a collaboration between UK Launch Services Limited and Machrihanish Airbase Community Company, has been designed to build awareness for the spaceport and involve the community in Kintyre’s newest and most exciting industry.
Tickets for the open day, which runs from 10am to 5pm, can be purchased via Eventbrite, on the Facebook event page, or by following a link provided on Instagram and Facebook posts – both @discoverspaceuk. Tickets for children are free.
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s director of events and leader of the EventScotland team, said: ‘EventScotland is delighted to be supporting Spaceport Machrihanish Community Open Day through our National Events Programme.
‘It joins an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events taking place across the country this year as part of the wider recovery of tourism and events in Scotland. Events play an important role in our communities, enabling us all to connect, enjoy and share memorable experiences.
‘Having them in our calendar further strengthens Scotland’s outlook and position as a world-leading events destination and reinforces Scotland’s place as the perfect stage for events.’