Shetland space centre will spend £3 million on road infrastructure

If the Shetland space centre construction goes ahead, an additional three million pounds will be invested into road improvements. New infrastructure should boost not only the local economy with an influx of tourists, but it should also help the island’s school roll. 

While some locals are concerned about the Shetland space centre construction, the project leaders assured the public that no construction works would interfere with their lives. In practice, this facility is supposed to create new job opportunities for locals. Those jobs are likely to include technicians, security staff, and managers. The spaceport will also employ professionals from outside the island of Unst, which means that more families with children might relocate and breathe new life into the island’s school.

Shetland space centre in nutshell 

Shetland space centre is going to become of the first vertical launch site on Unst. The project team expect to make around thirty small satellite launches every year. Each small satellite launch should be heard for no more than 20 seconds, and, given this scarcely populated area, such operations should not cause any inconvenience for locals.

As for growing environmental concerns, a new environmental assessment is already been prepared for submission to the local council. Shetland space centre representatives gave assurances that environmental impact will be minimal. At the same time, they believe that economic benefits from the spaceport construction are irrefutable.

Since this facility is still to begin construction, it is not yet clear which companies will become the first to launch from there. However, it has been rumored that US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin might shift to the Shetland space centre instead of the proposed site in Sutherland.