Prestwick spa ceport
NASA deal ‘could mean launches in four years’
FOR years, it has been the starting point for family holidays to sun-kissed hot-spots like Mallorca, Lanzarote and Tenerife.
But now Prestwick airport is set to add an even more exotic – if somewhat colder – destination to its departure boards: Outer Space.
In one giant leap for Scotland, bosses at the Ayrshire airport are planning to launch rockets by 2020, having signed a business deal with the US space centre in Houston, Texas.
It will see Prestwick benefit from NASA know-how as it aims to become the first commercial spaceport in Europe.
It is an ambitious plan for the troubled airport, which has racked up huge debts since it was bought by the Scottish Government for £1.
It also raises the prospect of taxpayers seeing a return on their investment, which is expected to reach almost £40million by 2021.
Mike Stewart, business development director at Glasgow Prestwick Spaceport, said: ‘It has opened up a whole new world to us. It’s exciting times.’
Prestwick hopes to have the spaceport ready by 2019, with Orbital Access, a private company based at the airport, aiming to start flights the following year.
This will see rockets attached to modified aircraft and launched into space when the planes reach 35,000ft. Once it has released its cargo, a rocket will be directed back to Prestwick’s runway.
Flights will be monthly at first but the plan is to move to weekly.
Houston has been providing training flights for NASA astronauts for 50 years. It estimates it contributes $27billion (£21.4billion) to the Texan economy as the United States’ tenth spaceport.
Prestwick says it boosts the Scottish economy by £61.6million, but estimates this would rise by £320million if it secures spaceport status. It would initially be a launch site for new satellites for the communications industry, but could also be used by climate scientists, medical researchers and space tourism within the decade.
Licences for the UK’s first spaceports are expected to be passed in the UK Government’s Modern Transport Bill, next month. Prestwick will compete with the likes of Newquay, in Cornwall, to be first. It believes it is winning that race, with less than £10million needed for further infrastructure spending, and hopes the link-up with Houston will further cement its position.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Prestwick airport is well placed to provide world-class facilities as a spaceport and we welcome the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding between Prestwick and Houston spaceport. Our main focus is ensuring that a spaceport is based in Scotland, and we stand ready to support and offer advice to any Scottish site that wishes to pursue the spaceport opportunity.’