Sutherland Spaceport will bring 'new potential' and help reverse depopulation, says Easter Ross MP Jamie Stone
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Far north MP Jamie Stone says the Sutherland Spaceport will bring "new potential" to the area after attending the groundbreaking ceremony last week.
The new spaceport is the first vertical launch spaceport to be built on the UK mainland, and will become the "home" spaceport for Forres-based Orbex.
The spaceflight firm is developing its Prime rocket as well as the launch facilities at A' Mhoine, west of Tongue.
It will use the site to launch up to 12 orbital rockets per year for the deployment of satellites into Earth’s orbit. The spaceport is intended to become the first carbon-neutral spaceport in the world, both in its construction and its operation.
As part of this commitment, it says peat lifted during the construction will be re-used to repair large areas of peatland that have degraded over centuries.
The establishment of a commercial spaceport in Sutherland is expected to support around 250 new jobs in the Highlands and Islands over the coming years, including 40 jobs in Sutherland and Caithness. Economic impact assessments commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) conclude that the presence of the spaceport has the potential to generate almost £1 billion in gross value added (GVA) for the Highlands and Islands economy over the next 30 years.
Mr Stone said: "The spaceport has been and continues to be a huge success. It is terribly exciting that construction has now officially started on the site. It represents the beginning of what we've all been waiting for – more jobs and new potential.
"The spaceport means a great deal both internationally and at home. The UK's first spaceport will put the Highlands on the global map and – perhaps more importantly – it will mean that local people can remain just that: 'local'.
"Good quality jobs in the far north are crucial to helping families stay in the area they call home. We've seen how much the oil and nuclear industries have reversed the curse of depopulation, and now it's time to see what space launch can do too."
A £14 million support package was confirmed last week, with £3 million from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority adding to £9 million from HIE and the Scottish Government, and £2.55 million from the UK Space Agency.
Orbex says it will be recruiting for skilled local jobs to support the operation of the spaceport. The types of roles will span several areas including facilities and operational management, security, general administration and finance, stakeholder engagement and launch campaign-related roles.
Employment opportunities will be advertised locally when recruitment commences.
