UK Spaceport to Become One of the Largest Launch Sites in Europe

The UK is on the cusp of becoming the first country in Europe with its own spaceport. Currently, European countries are using launch platforms located in Africa or South America to launch their space vehicles i.e, Kourou in the French territory of Guiana. Now, Scotland could become the first country in Europe with a spaceport of its own.

The First UK Spaceport: From Ambition to Reality

The first serious discussions about the UK spaceport construction started in 2017, when the UK Space Agency announced its plans to invest in such a facility.  

The agency started to receive a variety of project applications. The most prominent ones are the Spaceport Cornwall project in South West England and Sutherland spaceport in Scotland. The Scottish project is almost at its final stages. 

The First in Europe and One of the Largest in the World 

This project is so ambitious that it calls for a large construction area. It involves building a massive facility infrastructure and training a considerable number of staff.

According to preliminary estimates, Sutherland Spaceport will occupy an area of approximately 330 hectares. This is almost half of Baikonur, the largest spaceport in the world. If this project succeeds, their UK spaceport will become not only one of the largest facilities in the world but also the first European spaceport ever.