Will island’s spaceport get off the launch pad?

SATELLITES could be launched into space from Scotland within two years if a proposed Spaceport goes ahead.

The planning process for the Hebrides Spaceport is about to begin for the UK’s first satellite launch pad on North Uist, creating 200 jobs and boosting the local economy.

A consultant’s report for a consortium headed by Western Isles Council and including nearby weapons testing base operator QinetiQ suggests construction could start next year, with first flights the following year.

The council is seeking formal guidance on environmental issues at the site on North Uist from which vertical-launch rockets would carry small commercial satellites into orbit, tracking clear of populated areas over open sea.

The emerging market for small satellite launches is predicted to be worth more than £25billion globally over the next 20 years, according to the UK Government.

Scotland is already punching above its weight in the space boom, with 18 per cent of the UK industry based north of the Border, while Glasgow is Europe’s leading manufacturer of micro satellites.

The Hebrides Spaceport faces competition for funding from similar bids in Shetland and Sutherland, as well as Cornwall.

But Western Isles Council development chairman Donald Crichton said Uist had the best facilities, with rocketlaunching expertise at the South Uist missile range operated for the Ministry of Defence by QinetiQ.

He added: ‘We have to be ambitious to be at the cutting edge and deliver on the potential of this project.

‘There is still a long way to go but we are very optimistic we can provide the opportunity to transform the economy of the Uists.’