Scotland’s Spaceport 1 Construction Is Underway As The Site Will Be Operational in 2025

A few days ago, the Scotland Highlands and Island Enterprise officially announced that local contractor Macaulay Askernish would take on the first phase of Scotland’s Spaceport 1 construction.

Spaceport 1: Construction Plans and Key Players

According to available details, the Spaceport 1 project development will be split into two phases. Macaulay Askernish will handle the first phase of this development, preparing the rocket launch site for use next year.

To ensure the smooth procession of this project, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, North Uist area chief, will oversee the construction progress. The construction’s first stage involves upgrading the site’s access tracks, building parking facilities, and the installation of fibre broadband.

Macaulay Askernish will also need to evaluate the rocket launch site to find ways to preserve any cultural artefact that it holds. This evaluation will also give insight into how the Spaceport 1 site will age and the roles it will serve in the future.

Once ready, Spaceport 1 will serve as the “only dedicated commercial suborbital launch site” in the UK as Councillor Paul Steele, Leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar points out. He goes on to add that this rocket launch site will “enable end-to-end science, technology, and space systems’ development for the first time on British soil, closing a significant gap in the space value chain.”

Considering the important role that Spaceport 1 will fill, the funding for this project will aim to ensure all work on the site is up to standard. Funds for this project are being pulled together by the Highlands and Island Enterprise and the Comhairle, summing up to £1.62 million, though the total cost of the project is estimated at £2.6 million.

Macaulay Askernish To Hand Off Scotland’s Spaceport 1 Construction In 2025

By the Spring of 2025, the first stage of construction on the Spaceport 1 rocket launch site is to be completed. Macaulay Askernish will then hand over control of the construction process to an as-yet unidentified firm. However, this firm has been stated by our sources to be a private-sector operator. Once the second phase of construction is completed, the firm will also manage the spaceport.