Construction begins at Sutherland Spaceport site

An artist's impression of a launch from Sutherland Spaceport

Construction has begun at the site of a planned spaceport in the Highlands.

Forres-based rockets manufacturer Orbex has proposed launching up to 12 orbital rockets a year from the facility near Tongue.

A ceremony was held earlier this week to mark the breaking of the first ground at the Sutherland Spaceport site.

No dates have been provided yet for completion of the complex or when the first launches would take place.

Planning permission for Sutherland Spaceport, formerly known as Space Hub Sutherland, was secured in 2021.

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Orbex has been testing a prototype of its 19m (62ft) Prime rocket at a facility in Kinloss in Moray.

Funding for the project includes a £9m public investment package from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish government and more than £2m from the UK Space Agency.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will contribute £3m as part of its efforts to create job opportunities to replace those at the Dounreay nuclear complex, near Thurso, which is being decommissioned.

Orbex has been carrying out tests on a prototype rocket

Civil engineering giant Jacobs has been contracted for the construction of the spaceport. The company has previously worked with US space agency Nasa.

Orbex chief executive Kristian von Bengtson said: "With the construction of Sutherland Spaceport underway, this is an important piece of the puzzle that will make the UK a modern space nation.

"Just as importantly, we're hopefully also setting the tone for how business can be a force for good, creating jobs and opportunities while minimising the impact upon the environment."

The spaceport site is in a large area of peatbog on the Moine Peninsula.

Orbex said soil removed during construction would be used to help restore areas of degraded peatland.

Sutherland Spaceport is one of a number being developed in Scotland.

Other projects are being developed on Unst in Shetland and the Western Isles.