Shetland Islands Set to Launch UK’s Inaugural Space Rocket Adventure!

The UK has authorized the initial rocket launch into space from the Shetland Islands, granting a German startup permission to launch as soon as this year.

On Thursday, Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced it had issued a vertical launch license to Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) to ascend from SaxaVord spaceport, located 50 miles (80km) north of Scotland’s mainland.

If successful, RFA will join the private space venture as the first European firm to perform a vertical launch into orbit. The license permits the launch of its 30-metre high RFA One rocket heading north from the island of Unst, away from inhabited regions.

Space launches were historically the domain of governments, but the landscape has changed significantly in the past two decades due to private companies, most notably SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk.

Musk, currently the wealthiest individual globally due to his investments in SpaceX and the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, has established his company as a leading contender in the aerospace sector by developing reusable rockets that have greatly reduced costs. Recently, SpaceX successfully launched two privately constructed lunar landers.

Nonetheless, SpaceX’s preeminence is about to be challenged by new competitors. On Thursday, Blue Origin, the space enterprise owned by Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its New Glenn rocket into orbit on its maiden attempt. Meanwhile, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket can lift nearly 23 tonnes into low-Earth orbit, whereas New Glenn is designed to transport 45 tonnes.

1:11

Conversely, the RFA One will transport 1.3 tonnes. It aims to carve out a niche for its “microlauncher” amid the rising demand for space services. However, it will need to address the technical challenges that caused an explosion at the Shetland spaceport during trials last August.

An increase in competitors for commercial launch capabilities would be welcomed by several governments, amid worries regarding dependence on SpaceX due to Musk’s increasingly vocal support for far-right ideologies.

While European nations already possess space launch facilities, the current site is located in French Guiana, a territory of France situated north of Brazil on South America’s coastline. Introducing the SaxaVord site would provide additional access to launch capabilities within mainland Europe.

Achieving a successful launch would signify a win for the UK following the failure of Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit after a botched rocket launch from a competing spaceport in Cornwall. The rocket was lost, thereby failing to be the first one launched into space from British territory.

RFA has already conducted tests at the SaxaVord spaceport in preparation for its launch plans; however, a nine-engine test last August went awry, resulting in the rocket’s explosion.

Rob Bishton, the CAA’s chief executive, stated: “This signifies a new chapter for aerospace, and the issuance of the first vertical launch licence from UK territory represents a significant milestone for the country.

“This licence is the result of comprehensive effort behind the scenes to implement suitable safety and environmental protocols prior to the launch.”

Jörn Spurmann, co-founder of RFA, expressed his hope that the launches will be “a pivotal moment for European space innovation.”

“This licence illustrates Europe’s courageous move toward autonomous, competitive, and sustainable access to space,” Spurmann mentioned. “By facilitating economical and adaptable launches from the European mainland, we are establishing the groundwork for a new epoch of space exploration and commercialization, ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of the global space competition.”

Mike Kane, the UK’s aviation minister, remarked that this licence “brings us one step closer to achieving the inaugural commercial vertical space launch in the United Kingdom.”