Rockets galore could be launched from remote Highland peninsula

● Sutherland may become UK’S commercial space race centre

Rockets could be launched from a space base on a remote peninsula in the north west of Scotland, it was reported yesterday.

The site in Sutherland has been earmarked by a consortium including aerospace firm Lockheed Martin in a proposal that has the backing of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), according to the Sunday Times.

The A’mhoine Peninsula, between Cape Wrath and Dounreay, has reportedly been identified as the most suitable site in Britain for launching rockets carrying satellites into space.

A proposal has now been submitted to the UK Space Agency (UKSA).

Last year HIE commissioned a study to examine the pros and cons of establishing a vertical launch facility for commercial satellites at A’mhoine.

At the time Roy Kirk, Caithness and Sutherland area manager for HIE, said: “The satellite launch market is growing and we believe there will be an opportunity in the coming years for one location in Europe to establish a vertical launch centre.

“The Moine appears to meet many, if not all, of the requirements to become that location and we’ve commissioned this study to gather and weigh 0 The A’mhoine Peninsula, between Cape Wrath and Dounreay in Sutherland, may be the most suitable site in the UK for a vertical launch facility for rockets carrying satellites into space up the evidence.” He added: “While HIE recognises that a satellite launch site could provide an economic boon for Sutherland, we also care deeply that any potential environmental impacts are fully understood and evaluated as well.”

The Scottish base could be up and running by 2020 and generate more than £1 billion over a decade.

Paul Davey, of the Lockheed Martin UK space programme, said: “We have submitted a proposal for grant funding into the UKSA satellite launch programme, the outcome of which will be known this summer.

“This follows more than two years of dialogue with the relevant Scottish agencies.”

The news comes ahead of this week’s House of Lords debate of the Space Industry Bill, which aims to license space activities and offer grants for firms wanting to launch satellites or manned space craft from British soil.