The FAA has authorised upgrades to Paso Robles airport in California as a potential future spaceport. The decision is helped by a $594,055 grant from the FAA under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Joe Biden, which will kickstart a series of renovations aimed at extending the runway’s lifespan and paving the way for […]

There are currently two Spaceports being built in northern Scotland and seeking rocket launch business. The two (Sutherland Spaceport on the A’Mhoine peninsula and SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst, Shetland) could be one too many says a senior figure at SaxaVord. Scott Hammond, deputy CEO and operations director of SaxaVord Spaceport, told a Scottish parliamentary committee […]

By now Spaceport Cornwall, near Newquay in the South-West of England, had expected regular ‘flights’ from the Virgin Orbit ‘Cosmic Girl’ aircraft and rocket combination. That enterprise went bust in May 2023, but the Spaceport is now planning for its next launch activity. Virgin Orbit’s modified jet Cosmic Girl took off from Spaceport Cornwall on […]

The UK Space Agency has announced funding of more than £6.7 million (€7.7m) to further Scotland’s spaceports ambitions. Scottish-based HyImpulse, a launch company working with SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, will receive £3.4 million. And Orbex, which is working with Sutherland Spaceport on the A’ Mhòine peninsula, will get more than £3.3 million. Both spaceports plan […]

Plans for a rocket launch site near Las Vegas are reportedly getting closer to the development stage. Las Vegas Spaceport, headed by Robert Lauer, has confirmed it has signed a partnership with O-G Launch, a business headed by Robert Feierbach. The plan is to develop a spaceport covering 240 acres of desert land between Vegas […]

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is investing $33 million (€30m) in Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) which is building rockets for launch from Scotland’s SaxaVord spaceport. “The investment will facilitate RFA’s upcoming integrated first stage test and complete the company’s launch pad at SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland, to eventually bring the RFA ONE microlauncher to the launchpad,” said […]

Scotland’s third spaceport is set to be built in the far north of the nation in the Hebrides after Scottish ministers confirmed they would not oppose the plans. The proposed Spaceport 1 project on Scolpaig Farm in North Uist is expected to host its first launch in late 2024 or early 2025. Other launch sites […]

UK-based rocket and spaceflight company, Orbex, has extended its footprint by over 30 per cent across its Scottish and Danish design and production facilities in preparation for the launch of its Prime rocket. The company is adding an extra 1,500 square metres of factory and office space to its existing 4,750 square meter estate in […]

Once upon a time there was Sea Launch, a US/Norway/Russia/Ukraine consortium that used a converted oil-rig plus a support ship, to equatorially launch rockets and their satellites from the sea and using Zenit rockets. Sea Launch operated from 1999 to 2014 and successfully launched 32 rockets, although suffered a total of three complete failures and […]

Scotland’s SaxaVord Spaceport has secured funding to the tune of £139 million (€159.6m) to complete site development and prepare for multiple rocket launch missions. The cash comes in the form of a bond issue, and was reported to the UK parliament at a meeting on May 17th. The extra cash comes on top of £28 […]