Move to have spaceport located in North Uist

WESTERN Isles MP Angus Brendan MacNeil, representatives from QinetiQ and the leader and officials from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar welcomed Scotland’s Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy Paul Wheelhouse MSP to Uist to discuss having a spaceport in the Hebrides.

Mr MacNeil said: ‘Uist is the lead site in the UK for a vertical take-off facility to be located, not least because of the local expertise which could launch and successfully guide, monitor and control such a rocket.

‘Last year during the maritime exercise Formidable Shield, Hebrides Range in Uist became the only place in the UK to have fired a rocket into space. It was the heaviest, largest and highest rocket launched into space from the British Isles.

‘Currently, the UK has no sovereignty in this area but countries as diverse as Kazakhstan, Algeria, Morocco and India do. A lot of the work in this area goes to India. Many in this field feel a UK capability would be helpful to say the least.

‘The UK government wants to have about 10 per cent of the annual global space market, which is around £40 billion. Any spaceport site would be based in Scolpaig in North Uist with a firing take-off angle about 85 degrees towards the north-west, going high between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. It would not be going over any land and be higher than aircraft altitudes within 20 miles.

‘Further, given the track record of Hebrides Range in being able to conduct technical launches with an excellent safety record, there can be nowhere better to bring this work than to Uist.’

Council leader Roddie Mackay added: ‘The narrative we have heard from QinetiQ is why the spaceport proposal in North Uist is a serious proposal and it is why it’s the leading vertical takeoff option for the UK.’