40 rockets a year from Scots port

CONTROVERSIAL plans for the Highlands to host the UK’s first spaceport have sparked a fresh row – over the number of rockets to be launched from the site.

Campaigners have already raised fears over the environmental impact of the site, which is being promoted as a way to bring jobs and investment to a remote area.

Now it has been revealed that up to 40 rockets a year could be sent up from the spaceport on the A’Mhoine peninsula in Sutherland – the previous figure given was only six.

The launch vehicles themselves could also be far larger than anticipated – with rockets up to 98ft (30m) long. According to papers drawn up by consultants for development quango Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE), each rocket would separate ten minutes after blast-off.

The main section would continue into space and the jettisoned part would fall into ‘a safe pre-designated drop zone’ – expected to be in ‘waters to the west of the Faroe Islands and south-east of Iceland’.

In the event of something going wrong shortly after take-off, the rockets could be deliberately exploded by the control team.

HIE’s website says: ‘It is anticipated that up to six launches will be carried out annually, with the first taking place in the early 2020s.’

But the consultants say: ‘It is anticipated there could be approximately 40 launches per calendar year.’

Last night John Williams, chairman of the Protect the Mhoine campaign group, said: ‘This is not what we were told. People were led to believe there would be up to six launches a year and that the rockets would be 17m (56ft) high. Now we find they will be bigger and there will be more of them. People are alarmed.’

The £17.3 million project has attracted support from the UK Space Agency, which is also funding two launch companies that plan to set up in Sutherland.

The potential site, west of Tongue, is next to the Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation, and the Ben Hutig Site of Special Scientific Interest.

HIE said: ‘The purpose of the current initial scoping exercise is to seek input from statutory bodies and a range of interested parties that will guide a future environmental impact assessment.’

‘We were led to believe there would be six’