Scottish rocket company Skyrora has become the first UK-based firm to receive a vertical space launch licence, marking a significant milestone for the country’s growing commercial space industry, according to a press release issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
The licence permits up to 16 sub-orbital launches per year of the Skylark L vehicle from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, pending final launch-specific authorisations and conditions. The regulator reviewed safety, environmental impact, and international compliance before approving the application.
“Granting a home-grown company, Skyrora its launch licence is a major milestone for our space sector and our nation,” said Rob Bishton, CEO of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. “Our work as the UK’s space regulator is enabling the burgeoning launch industry to safely grow, bringing new jobs and investment with it.”
Volodymyr Levykin, CEO of Skyrora, said the licence reflects years of work by the firm’s engineers and staff. “Becoming the first UK company to receive its vertical launch operator licence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Skyrora. It is essential that the UK has sovereign launch capabilities.”
The licence includes conditions such as proof of adequate insurance, a government data-sharing agreement, agreements with SaxaVord, and coordination with international airspace authorities. Skyrora will finalise its first launch schedule once those requirements are met.
The announcement drew praise from UK and Scottish officials. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray commented: “This launch licence isn’t just one giant leap for Skyrora – it’s a massive boost to the whole of Scotland and the wider UK’s space sector.”
Murray noted that Glasgow’s status as a UK Government-funded Investment Zone will help support further innovation in space technologies. “This zone, established with local partners, is expected to generate around £300 million of initial private investment and support up to 10,000 jobs in the region,” he added.
Skyrora becomes the second operator licensed to launch from SaxaVord, which received its own spaceport licence in December 2023 and a range control licence in April 2024. The UK’s space regulator continues to monitor both the site and operators as they progress towards commercial launch capability.
Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency, said: “Congratulations to Skyrora on becoming the first UK rocket company to receive a launch licence from the Civil Aviation Authority. This demonstrates the growing strength of our domestic launch capabilities, and the thriving commercial space economy we are building across the country.”
Who would have thought even ten years ago we would be looking at Scottish rocket companies launching satellites from Scotland and Glasgow being the city in the world that makes the most satellites.
(Not to detract from the space efforts of the other three nations which also have many achievements)
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This is sub-orbital atm so not satellite launch. A Glasgow isn’t the biggest builder of satellites.
No Skyrora is planning on launching its XL rocket it December which is a three stage oribital rocket which will as I said be launched from Scotland.
Glasgow is currently the largest satellite builder by number in Europe due to Clyde space and a few other minor sattelite providers. It was the largest in the world briefly before space X started deploying Starlink.
Yes planning. This is license to do sub orbital sounding rocket stuff.
And Airbus and SSTL are the top two players in the UK, SSTL practically invented the cubesat, I’ve stood in their clean room while they build them. Clyde are fantastic, but a lot of their production is done in Sweden.
I think SST might have a word to say about that, though in reality even their parent Airbus is only number 2. Space X has more than everyone else put together I suspect.
SSTL don’t build cube sats like Clyde do. You can get a lot of cube sats for the price of even a small sat built by SSTL.
Well done Scotland, and well done Glasgow! I wonder if Iron Bru will be sponsoring the rockets…
Wow… Might be just a little bit behind….