£1.5m lift for space f irm in countdown to launch

THE space industry has been given another big lift in Scotland.

Aerospace firm Orbex, based in Forres, Moray, has secured up to £1.5 million in investment for its launch vehicle for small satellites.

The funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will support the design and development of Orbex Prime.

This is expected to be the first vehicle to lift off from the

£17.3 million Space Hub Sutherland on the A’Mhoine peninsula – granted planning permission by Highland Council last week.

Orbex intends to establish a permanent workforce at Space Hub Sutherland. Employment at the firm’s two locations is expected to grow to around 130 over three years.

Scotland’s Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation, Ivan McKee, said: ‘Orbex’s new orbital launch vehicle marks an exciting step forward in space technologies and signals further growth of this key sector in Scotland.’

HIE’s director of business growth, David Oxley, said: ‘The Prime development project has already led to the creation of new, highly skilled jobs in the region.

‘We expect to see many more as the company grows.’