Skyrora opens rocket engine testing facility

The facility is the largest of its kind in the UK and is described by the company as a ‘national first for space sector advancement, and a huge leap toward establishing launch as a final sector in the space ecosystem’.

It will allow Skyrora to concentrate its launch development operations for the purpose of conducting acceptance tests for engines on its orbital Skyrora XL vehicle. The company aims to become the first British company to complete an orbital launch from UK soil.

Part-funded by a 2021 European Space Agency (ESA) grant, the Midlothian facility was commissioned and brought into service within six months after three separate planning applications.

“The new purpose-built Midlothian site allows us to take direct charge of the development cycle in-house,” said Dr Jack James Marlow, Skyrora’s head of engineering.

“By reducing our reliance on third parties and cultivating specialist knowledge within the company, the Midlothian location gives us much closer control of the quality and rapid development of Skyrora XL as we prepare for its first demo launch.