Scotland will join the space race when north coast site is announced for Britain's first spaceport this week

  • Sutherland has been chosen as the site for the UK's first spaceport
  • Space rockets and satellites will be launched followed by commercial travel 
  • New spaceport will provide necessary infrastructure for space tourism

Adventure-seeking Brits will this week come a step closer to checking in for flights into outer space.

Business Secretary Greg Clark is set to announce that Sutherland, on Scotland's north coast, has been chosen as the site for the UK's first spaceport.

It will initially host launches of space rockets and satellites, but commercial passenger travel could then follow, getting Brits that little bit close to an out-of-this-world trip.

Sutherland sits on Scotland's north coast and has been chosen as the site for the UK's first spaceport

Sutherland sits on Scotland's north coast and has been chosen as the site for the UK's first spaceport

The new spaceport will host launches of rockets and satellites, while the framework for passenger trips is yet to be developed. Pictured is the launch of Russia's Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft in December 2017, carrying members of the International Space Station

New space station will host launches of space rockets and satellites, while framework for passenger trips is yet to be created

Mr Clark will say at this week's Farnborough Air Show that this is the start of a 'new British Space Age'.

Sutherland beat off competition from Prestwick, Ayrshire, Unst in the Shetlands and Newquay airport, Cornwall.

These airports will still receive funding, in the form of a £2 million investment to allow for the horizontal launching of planes, rather than rockets.

Virgin Atlantic aim to make use of this, as Sir Richard Branson's company looks to expand its space exploration venture. 

Virgin will launch a 747 jet, called 'Cosmic Girl', from the Cornwall airport.

It will carry a LauncherOne rocket under its wing and then release the rocket at 35,000ft towards space.  

The Scottish spaceport will provide the infrastructure needed for space tourism, though a regulatory framework for passenger trips has yet to be created, the Daily Mirror reported.

The move is backed by the specialist technical staff union Prospect, GMB and Unite. Mr Clark hopes Britain's share of the global space economy will increase from 6.5 per cent to 10 per cent by 2030.

Spaceport could take Brits one step closer to space travel and an out-of-this-world trip

Spaceport could take Brits one step closer to space travel and an out-of-this-world trip

It is estimated that the space flight market could bolster the UK economy by £4 billion in the next 10 years.

The proposal comes as trade organisations such as ADS Group said Britain could face an erosion of investment in its space security and defence sectors unless a good Brexit deal is struck with the EU.

Paul Everitt, chief executive of ADS Group, said British manufacturers' ability to attract investment will be 'diminished' if the negotiations fail.

Mr Everitt warned that the securing of a comprehensive deal with Brussels will be key to ensure investment continues to flow to UK firms operating in sectors like space.

The new spaceport is set to start a 'new British Space Age' according to Mr Clark

The new spaceport is set to start a 'new British Space Age' according to Mr Clark

'If the costs of operating in the UK become higher, then our ability to attract new investment will be diminished', he told the BBC.

'We are a long term industry. When a big investment decision comes along we are not in such a good place. If it continues we could see an erosion of our position.'

Nearly a fifth of the UK's space industry is based in Scotland, and Glasgow builds more satellites than any other city in Europe. A consortium submitted a proposal for Sutherland to the UK Space Agency saying the A'Mhoine peninsular was ideal for launching satellites into orbit.

The Space Industry Bill cleared its Commons stages in March, paving the way for the new spaceport.

Transport minister Jo Johnson said: 'This puts us at the forefront of the new space race. It helps us to compete as the destination of choice for satellite companies worldwide.'

They expect to be able to collar business from the military, government and private industry.

SNP MP Dr Philippa Whitford said: 'Launches are currently carried out from Kazakhstan.

'Easy launch access from Scotland would benefit the commercial satellite industry right across the UK.'

Five things you never knew about Sutherland 

Sutherland is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in the Highlands of Scotland. Sutherland borders Caithness to the east, Ross-shire to the south and the Atlantic to the north and west. But here's five things you never knew about the quaint Scottish county.

1. Sutherland is mentioned in the book 'Lord of the Rings', as 'Haradwaith'.

2. The county is home to Britain's highest waterfall, Eas a' Chual Aluinn has a drop of 658ft and is three times as high as Niagara falls.

3. Sutherland has a range of wonderful biking trails, notably those at Balblair near Bonar Bridge and an extensive new network on the hillside above Golspie. There's no charge for these, and the Golspie trails also offer bike and kit hire.

4. The river Shin is one of Scotland's best salmon rivers. Visitors can see salmon swimming upstream to spawning grounds and leaping up waterfalls to get there.

5. The towering sea cliffs of Handa Island, a bird sanctuary, are home to around 200,000 seabirds, including a wide variety of species.

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