Work underway at Orbex’s Sutherland Spaceport

Previously known as Space Hub Sutherland, the Spaceport is located on Scotland’s A' Mhòine peninsula and is set to be the first vertical launch spaceport built on mainland UK. Orbex said the facility will support around 250 new jobs in the Highlands and Islands region over the coming years, including 40 jobs in Sutherland and Caithness. According to economic impact assessments commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the spaceport has the potential to generate almost £1bn in gross value added (GVA) for the local economy over the next 30 years.

As well as owning and operating the site, Orbex will also act be the primary customer of the spaceport. Sutherland was designed as the launch base for Orbex’s Prime satellite microlauncher, a 19m two-stage rocket capable of deliver 180kg payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO). The company says it has received widespread interest from commercial satellite manufacturers and has already signed launch contracts with seven customers.