What a turnaround — the UK is finally taking its first real step into space from its own territory. The aviation safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), has officially granted permission for the country's first vertical rocket launch. And this is not some kind of scientific experiment, but a full-fledged commercial mission by a domestic company from the British cosmodrome.
The green light was given to Skyrora, a Glasgow—based company that has been working for several years to create environmentally friendly and inexpensive rockets for launching small satellites into orbit. Now they have official permission to launch their Skylark L rocket from the SaxaVord spaceport located in the Shetland Islands, the northernmost territories of the UK, where the wind blows stronger than anywhere else and the sky is almost always open.
What is Skylark L?
It is a suborbital rocket with a height of about 10 meters, capable of lifting a payload of up to 40 kg to an altitude of up to 1000 km. It uses environmentally friendly fuels based on hydrogen peroxide and kerosene, which makes it one of the cleanest in its class. Although Skylark L does not launch satellites into orbit (it requires a more powerful rocket), it is ideal for:
- Scientific experiments in microgravity.
- Testing new technologies in space.
- Fast and inexpensive launches for startups and universities.
Why is this historical?
Yes, the UK has already launched satellites, but always from other spaceports: from Baikonur, in Florida, to Kourou. And in 1971, when the Black Arrow rocket launched the Prospero satellite into orbit, it was the only launch from British soil — and it has not been repeated since. Then the program was shut down, and the country simply bought services from the United States and others.
Now, more than 50 years later, the UK is returning to the game — but in a new role: not as a superpower with nuclear missiles, but as an innovative player in the small launch industry.
What about the spaceport?
SaxaVord is a private spaceport under construction on the island of Unst, the northernmost of the inhabited Shetland Islands. This is an ideal place for launches: few people, minimal air traffic, and direct access to northern orbits, which are especially in demand for Earth remote sensing and meteorological observation satellites.
In addition to Skyrora, other companies are planning their launches, including Orbex and Saxon Space. SaxaVord is positioned as the European answer to the spaceports in New Zealand and Cape Canaveral.
What about the regulator?
A CAA permit is not just a piece of paper. It means that all aspects of safety — for people, the environment and air traffic — have been thoroughly checked. The CAA evaluated:
- Flight paths of the rocket.
- Emergency shutdown systems.
- Evacuation and emergency response plans.
- Environmental impact.
Now Skyrora can set a launch date — and, according to rumors, it could take place as early as the fall of 2025.
What does this mean for Britain?
This is the beginning of a new era. If everything goes well, the UK will be able to:
- To attract investments in the space sector.
- Create high-tech jobs in remote regions.
- Become independent from foreign spaceports.
And for Skyrora, this is a chance to enter the global small start—up market, which is now being actively explored by companies from the USA, New Zealand and Japan.
Interestingly, Skyrora was founded by Vitaly Artemyev, a native of Belarus. And it was the British innovation support system that allowed him to realize his dream. Now his rocket, assembled in Scotland, with British funding and permission, will become a symbol that a small country can reach great heights — literally.
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