Engineering publications brought to you by Mark Allen

26 Oct 2020

Aerospace

Lockheed Martin to move UK satellite launch program to Shetland

In what’s been hailed as a major boost for plans to build a spaceport in the Shetland Isles, US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has been granted approval to transfer its UK satellite launch operations from the Sutherland Space centre to the planned Shetland Space Centre at Lamba Ness on the isle of Unst.

As well creating hundreds of jobs in the region, the development - part of the UK government’s LaunchUK spaceflight programme - is expected to strengthen the UK’s position as European small satellite launch destination of choice

Lockheed Martin to assist in UK vertical launch spaceport

Lockheed Martin is now in discussions with a preferred partner to provide launch services for its so-called UK Pathfinder Launch programme.

Commenting on the move Nik Smith, UK Country Executive at Lockheed Martin said: “The transfer of our UK spaceflight operations to Shetland will not only broaden launch options available in the UK, but also ensure the economic benefits of these endeavours are felt more widely.”

Ivan McKee, Scottish Government Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation added: “The transfer of Lockheed Martin’s UK pathfinder satellite launch to Shetland Space Centre will enhance Scotland’s existing vertical launch capability and enable us to target a wider market base through a complementary offer across multiple spaceports.”

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.