Sutherland Spaceport Receives ‘Vote of Confidence’ From Highlands and Islands

Sutherland Spaceport is an upcoming spaceport located northwest of Tongue village, Sutherland, Scotland. It is planned to be the first spaceport of the United Kingdom, with construction planned to begin in late 2021. The first launch is planned for mid to late 2022.

Jacobs report bolsters confidence in the first UK spaceport

A report was produced by the international company Jacobs to determine the impact of the Sutherland Spaceport on the Scottish economy. The report is called The North Highland and Moray Space Cluster Strategy.

The report names Sutherland Spaceport as one of the most important projects in the UK history for the past ten years. Predictions show that the spaceport will lay the foundations of the ‘Northern Space Cluster,’ which, following the 2022 premier launch, will bring more than 700 job openings to the Highlands and Islands community. The local economy is expected to see a dramatic improvement with expected annual returns of up to £56 million, with a future interest in the project bolstering these numbers past the first decade.

David Oxley, director of strategic projects at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, has stated that the findings presented by Jacobs have increased the good faith generated towards Sutherland Spaceport.

Sutherland Spaceport will bring long-term benefits for the UK space industry

Once built, Sutherland Spaceport will support 40 full-time jobs for staff and researchers with 12 launches per year. As the UK spaceport boosts its success rate, more jobs will become available, and new investment opportunities will be made available. According to the Jacobs model, the UK spaceport could support additional 520 job openings spread across Scotland.

On top of additional investment opportunities, the first UK spaceport will bring a wave of tourism to the area, with over 4,000 annual visitors expected once construction is complete.