Skyrora prepares for 2022 blast off with eco rocket fuel

SPACE JUNK is becoming one of the biggest problems threatening the space industry.

To address this issue, Edinburghbased rocket company, Skyrora, successfully completed trials of the third stage of the Skyrora XL rocket, including its orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), a vehicle that once in orbit can refire its engines around 15 times to complete tasks such as acting as a space tug, maintenance, or de-orbiting of defunct satellites.

The OTV is just part of Skyrora’s efforts to focus on sustainability. The company has just announced an agreement for a multi-launch deal with the SaxaVord spaceport on Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands, as it moves closer to launching its XL rocket next year. The move brings the supply chain of the sector all within Scotland, providing huge environmental benefits by addressing the sustainability and administrative issues involved in exporting to different launch sites across Europe.

Skyrora plans to fuel Skyrora XL with its own sustainable alternative to conventional rocket fuel,

Ecosene. Made from waste plastic such as polystyrene, Ecosene could prevent more than 3,000 tons of unrecyclable plastic going to landfill by 2030.