UK Government Grants £10 Million to SaxaVord Spaceport for Historic 1st Vertical Launch

The UK government has committed to investing £10 million in the SaxaVord Spaceport to see the first vertical launch from the UK by mid-year.

The grant for the Sheffield-based vertical launch spaceport was announced as part of the Government’s Spring Budget.

Speaking on the announcement at the 2024 SpaceComm Expo in Farnborough, UK Minister for Science, Research and Innovation Andrew Griffith said the investment in SaxaVord will support the goal of UK vertical launch “in the next few weeks”, in what will be “a really significant moment for the country and the UK space industry”.

Commenting on the £10 million injection of the Shetland-based vertical launch spaceport, SaxaVord CEO Frank Strang thanked MP Griffiths, as well as the Chancellor, Secretary of State for Scotland, and the UK Space Agency for their efforts and confidence.

“Their support today for both the new space economy and ourselves at SaxaVord will help ensure that the UK leads the way in European spaceflight,” Strang said.

RFA at SaxaVord

“Rocket company Rocket Factory Augsburg’s launch at SaxaVord this summer will put the UK at the forefront of one of the world’s fastest growing sectors – bringing jobs, investment and opportunity.”

It joins several new and renewed pledges from the UK Government in its Spring Budget, including a £250,000 grant under the UK Space Agency’s Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) to Surrey Satellite Technologies, and a renewed commitment to its £160 million Connectivity Low Earth Orbit program, supporting UK research and development in next-generation satellite communication technologies.

It also comes as UK Minister for Science, Research and Innovation Andrew Griffith revealed the Government’s new Space Industrial Plan at the 2024 Space-Comm Expo in Farnborough on Thursday.

“Our plan looks up to 2030, with a set of clear missions and actions for government and industry to achieve together.”