The U.K. has had satellites launched by other countries and U.K astronauts have visited the International Space Station courtesy of the manned space craft of other countries. Up until last October, the U.K. had never launched a rocket into space from their own territory.
The Western Isles (also known as the Outer Hebrides) are an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland. There fifteen inhabited islands in the chain with a population of about twenty seven thousand and more than fifty uninhabited islands. The WI are one of the thirty two council areas of Scotland.
In October of 2015, the U.K. was participating in an international military exercise called the At Sea Demonstration 15. The ability of warships to defend themselves against incoming missiles was being demonstrated. One of the incoming missiles used for the test was an American Terrier-Orion two-stage rocket. The missile was launched from the Hebrides missile range in the Western Isles. The missile was playing the part of a ballistic missile as it soared over the North Atlantic. This missile was the first rocket ever launched from the U.K. that left the Earth's atmosphere.
This was a major first for space exploration for the U.K. but it received little attention because it was just part of a military exercise. It would have had a place in a museum if it had not been blown apart by the USS Ross, a guided missile destroyer.
The U.K. is currently consider six locations for the site of a commercial spaceport. Four of the locations under consideration are in Scotland. The Royal Aeronautical Society is holding a conference to hear from representative for the six locations under consideration. The six locations include airports at Prestwick, Campbeltown and Stornoway, the former RAF base at Leuchars in Fife, Newquay airport in Cornwall and Llanbedr airport in the Snowdonia National Park.
The U.K. spaceport will use a horizontal launch format such as those utilized by the Virgin Galactic project. Space tourism will be one of the uses for the Spaceport. Virgin Galactic is also working on a system that would allow the launch of small satellites from a Boeing 747.
A feasibility study is being conducted by Highlands and Islands Enterprises (HIE) for constructing a commercial vertical launch facility near Tongue in Sutherland, a county in the Scottish Highlands. Tongue is located on the North Highland coast of Scotland. Small commercial satellites would be launched from such a facility.
An area manager for HIE said that "the satellite launch market is growing and we believe there will be an opportunity in the coming years for one location in Europe to establish a vertical launch centre. Advertisement
This area appears to meet many, if not all, of the requirement to become that location and we've commissioned this study to gather and weigh up the evidence. While HIE recognizes that a satellite launch site could provide an economic boon for Sutherland, we also care deeply that any potential environmental impacts are fully understood and evaluated as well."
There is already a thriving space industry in Scotland. It is estimated that over five thousand people are working in the Scottish space business. Most of these jobs require a high level of skill and education and pay well.
Tongue in Scotland:
