UK grants space launch licence to Scottish firm

5/8/2025 11:13

Britain has granted its first space launch licence to a homegrown rocket company, paving the way for a Scottish start-up to send satellites into space from the country's first vertical launch spaceport.



Skyrora, which was founded in 2017, would be able to conduct up to 16 launches a year, subject to further approval by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the regulator said on Tuesday.



The Scotland-based company would use the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, northern Scotland, which received a key safety licence last year, meaning rockets could be launched from the site in the future.



Germany's Rocket Factory Augsburg was the first company to gain a licence to launch from the site earlier this year.



"Granting a home-grown company, Skyrora its launch licence is a major milestone for our space sector and our nation," CAA Chief Executive Rob Bishton said.



The space market is forecast to be worth over $1 trillion by 2030 as companies around the world plan to deploy thousands of internet-beaming satellites.