With the Space Industry Act receiving Royal Assent last week and the news that a regulatory framework is now in place, Glasgow Prestwick Airport is all set to step up its activity to become the first fully operational, licensed spaceport in the UK and Europe.
“We are delighted the enabling legislation is being enacted. It is a very significant stage in the process,” said Richard Jenner, director of Glasgow Prestwick’s Spaceport project.
Last week’s announcement means the path is now paved for commercial UK space launches and Glasgow Prestwick Airport aims to offer horizontal launches of orbital and sub-orbital missions for satellite launches, micro-gravity experiments and passenger spaceflight experiences.
“We have had a professional technical assessment of our infrastructure and facilities conducted by independent consultants and we confidently meet all the technical criteria set out by the Department for Transport. These include our favourable meteorological conditions, relatively clear airspace and excellent transport links, as well as our ability to meet the needs of industry with many aerospace businesses on our doorstep and the room on site to accommodate more. As such, we believe that our airport is able to move at pace with the legislative process equipping us to become the UK and Europe’s first space launch site with minimal investment.”
With the space industry predicted to be worth £400bn globally by 2030 and the UK aiming to target 10% of that business by then, Jenner added: “We are confident we can help the government to meet its commitment to have space launch capability in the UK by 2020. A UK Spaceport based in Prestwick would be an economic win for Scotland and the UK.”
