SaxaVord: the UK's first vertical spaceport in Shetland edges towards its first orbital launch

On the most northerly of Britain's inhabited islands, an ambitious project is taking shape. SaxaVord Spaceport aims to host the United Kingdom's first vertical orbital rocket launches, a milestone that would mark a new chapter for the country's space sector.

In this article, we look at where the spaceport is, the licences it has secured, the companies hoping to launch from it and the challenges it has faced on the road to its first flight.

A spaceport in the far north

According to Wikipedia, SaxaVord Spaceport is located at Lamba Ness on the island of Unst, part of Shetland, in Scotland. The site sits on land near the former RAF Saxa Vord, a radar installation dating back to the Cold War.

Its regulatory progress has been significant. The source notes that in December 2023 the spaceport was granted a licence, making it the first fully licensed vertical spaceport in Western Europe, followed by a range licence in April 2024 to control airspace for launches.

Still waiting for lift-off

Despite this progress, the headline goal remains ahead. According to Wikipedia, the spaceport has not yet carried out its first orbital launch. Originally planned for 2022 and then 2023, the first launch had, as of late 2025, been pushed back to 2026.

The journey has not been without setbacks. The source records that in August 2024 a static fire test of an RFA One rocket suffered an anomaly that led to a fire and explosion, destroying the stage and causing major damage to the launch mount.

The companies involved

Several firms are tied to the site. According to Wikipedia, Rocket Factory Augsburg of Germany is the primary orbital operator and secured the first UK orbital launch licence in January 2025, initially limited to ten launches a year, while Skyrora holds a licence for sub-orbital flights.

Others have faced difficulties. The source notes that HyImpulse moved its testing to Australia, while the UK company Orbex announced a relocation before becoming insolvent in early 2026, underlining how challenging the young launch industry can be.

Capacity and ambition

The long-term vision is considerable. According to Wikipedia, the facility is designed to accommodate up to 30 launches a year, which would make it a busy hub by the standards of Europe's emerging commercial space sector.

A domestic launch capability carries wider appeal. Being able to send satellites into orbit from home soil can support the growing market for small satellites and reduce reliance on launch sites in other countries.

Why the far north

The remote setting is not accidental. High-latitude sites in the far north are well suited to launches into polar and sun-synchronous orbits, which are widely used by Earth-observation and communications satellites.

The location also offers practical advantages. A sparsely populated site with open ranges over the sea helps to manage the safety considerations that come with launching rockets into orbit.

The road to first launch

For now, attention centres on when the first orbital flight will finally take place. Each licence, test and agreement brings the spaceport closer, but the defining moment of a successful launch is still to come.

In short, SaxaVord represents one of the most closely watched projects in the UK space sector. If it succeeds, the far northern islands of Shetland could become an unlikely gateway to orbit for Britain and beyond.