THE SHETLAND SPACE CENTRE
SSC plans to build and operate a satellite launch site in Unst, Shetland, the UK’s most northerly island. It follows the identification in a major report for the UK Space Agency of Saxa Vord in Unst as the best location in the country for such a facility. SSC has already received expressions of interest from commercial firms and the military and is working with the local community and planning authorities on detailed proposals.
The Rationale
Saxa Vord in Unst, home to new RAF radar technology monitoring Northern Europe, has been identified in a report for the UK Space Agency as the location that will allow maximum payloads on rockets transporting satellites into space.
The Launch Site
SSC has identified a site and locations for ancillary support systems, and is working towards securing planning permissions for the necessary construction works.
The Future
The aim is to have a fully functioning satellite launch facility in place by mid-2020, with logistical support allowing commercial and military clients able to operate from Unst.
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Saxa Vord, Unst
Originally Saxa Vord was built as a home-from-home for the families of the RAF personnel that manned the nearby radar station. Its composition and location ensured inclusion with the close-knit community of Unst. Closure of the radar station in the early 2000s led to depopulation and since then there has been a pressing need for an uplift in economic activity to ensure young people continue to live on the island.
Diversification has been aided by the transformation of Saxa Vord into a holiday resort and the creation of a gin and whisky distillery on the site. The Shetland Space Centre marks the next stage in the economic evolution of the UK’s most northerly island.