SPACEPORTS

IN the vision of the future, these are the hubs of the space industry’s tourism and commercial arms.

In decades to come, space tour operators such as Virgin Galactic and XCOR could work side by side like competing pleasure boat companies. Each would offer rival experiences in radically different aircraft capable of venturing outside t he Earth’s atmosphere.

Another fleet of spacecraft, meanwhile, would offer a freight service for the growing list of customers keen to get their hardware into orbit. A massive increase in small satellites such as the UKube-1 is expected over the next 20 years, making for a crowded environment in the zone around 250 miles from the planet. Delivering these gizmos into space will be huge business.

There are currently three Scottish sites in the running to house Europe’s first spaceport – Glasgow Prestwick, Machrihanish Airport near Campbeltown and Stornoway Airport on the isle of Lewis. RAF Leuchars in Fife, meanwhile, is a possible temporary spaceport location. The only non-Scottish sites are in Snowdonia and Newquay in Cornwall. All six set out their cases at a conference in London this week.

‘We like to think we are front runners,’ said Richard Jenner, chief executive officer of Glasgow Prestwick. ‘I know some of the others feel they have very strong cases as well.’

Scottish Government-owned Glasgow Prestwick, certainly, looks the cheapest option. Mr Jenner suggested the airport could launch a space facility for between £1million and £6million and the existing terminal could be replaced by a dual purpose air and space travel terminal.

Much more fresh infrastructure would be required in Campbeltown and Stornoway, but there are advantages to both.

The runway on the Kintyre peninsula is the only one which exceeds the UK Government’s minimum required runway length of 9,850ft and supporters say it is the option which carries least risk to surrounding populations. Stornoway proponents suggest their airport could partner with a site on the island of Benbecula. While spacecraft would take off horizontally from Stornoway, vertical rocket launches may be offered from the more southerly isle.