Scottish rocket aims for Shetland space test this year

A Scottish company is strapped in and joining the European space race.

It's called Skyrora and has high hopes of sending its rockets into space from 2026.

A number of other companies are already working to try and become the first to launch satellites from European soil, with some of them planning on using the UK's first spaceport - SaxaVord.

Skyrora already attempted to launch a different rocket - called Skylark - from Iceland in October 2022, but it fell into the sea after lift-off due to a software problem.

Skyrora says it plans to try a sub-orbital launch later this year.

A sub-orbital is where something reaches outer space, but not fast enough for it to be able to stay in space once it gets there.

They want to do this from SaxaVord, but talks with its owners are still ongoing.

The rocket - known as XL - is around the length of two buses and is being made at a factory in Cumbernauld in North Lanarkshire.

It will be able to carry up to 315kg and the plan is for it to send small satellites into space.

Tests are set to take place in the second half of the year.