The UK could become “a one stop shop” for space launches, according to the MD of the UK’s most northerly spaceport.

Yvette Hopkins is Managing Director for Space at SaxaVord Spaceport which is developing a ground station network on the island of Unst in Shetland. The network will consist of an array of 1.5m to 3.7m antennas supporting satellite operations in a low earth polar and sun-synchronous orbits.

Hopkins explained that the UK was currently developing its launch capability with seven different space spaceports in different stages of development proposed across the country.

Spaceports are “anchor to the space sector”

“The spaceport really is the anchor to the space sector, and it completes the end to end business that we’re seeing right now in the United Kingdom, so it’s very exciting. It draws in and attracts additional supporting businesses, it creates different adjacent businesses.”

“ And in the end, you know when you, as another country come to the United Kingdom, you’re coming here for one stop shop, you’re coming here for end to end business.”

 

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