In a landmark moment for Britain’s space ambitions, Skyrora has become the first UK-based company to secure a license to launch rockets from within the country.
Image Credit: Skyrora
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted the Scotland-based firm approval for up to 16 launches per year from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands — marking the first time a vertical launch license has been issued to a homegrown British operator.
The license allows Skyrora to conduct suborbital flights of its Skylark L rocket from SaxaVord, which already holds a spaceport safety license. The move also lays the groundwork for future launches of Skyrora’s larger orbital vehicle, the Skylark XL.
The CAA said the approval process assessed safety protocols, international obligations, and environmental impact mitigation measures.
“This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Skyrora,” said CEO Volodymyr Levykin. “It is essential that the UK has sovereign launch capabilities — not only to enable commercial access to space and achieve the government’s goal of becoming a global space leader, but also for strategic defence purposes.”
Despite the historic approval, Skyrora’s first UK launch is unlikely before late 2025. Levykin told Reuters that while the company has both a license and a ready-to-fly rocket, it is “unlikely” the maiden launch will happen this year. In the meantime, Skyrora is exploring options to launch from Australia, Oman, and Iceland — the latter being the site of a failed Skylark L attempt in 2022.
Skyrora’s approval follows a January license granted to Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), which can conduct up to 10 orbital launches annually from SaxaVord. RFA, however, suffered a major setback last year when its RFA One rocket exploded during a static-fire test. The German firm is part of the European Space Agency’s European Launcher Challenge, aimed at developing independent European access to space. Skyrora was not among the selected companies, though UK rival Orbex was.
Europe’s small-launch sector is also seeing mixed results elsewhere — in March, Germany’s Isar Aerospace attempted, but failed, its first orbital launch from the European mainland.
With the UK government aiming to capture a larger share of the commercial space market, Skyrora’s license marks a key step toward establishing a sovereign launch capability — something the nation has long pursued but never before achieved with a domestic operator.
By Azhar
Add comment
Comments