Grantown firm starts to reach for the heavens
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A Grantown firm has celebrated the ground-breaking of the site which will become the UK's first spaceport.
Seven pupils from Baltasound Junior High School visited the UK’s Pathfinder Spaceport at SaxaVord at Lamba Ness in Unst earlier this week for the historic occasion.
Grantown-based SaxaVord Spaceport held a ground preparation celebration on the site of future rocket launches which was attended by the local Uyeasound Viking Up Helly Aa squad amongst others.
The launch pads will be built by DITT Construction Ltd., a local Shetland firm, who will be supported by a range of sub-contractors including Unst Plant and EMN Plant.
At the height of construction, there are expected to be 60 workers on site, all of whom will be accommodated at the former RAF Saxa Vord site which SaxaVord Spaceport acquired.
The first stage of work for the construction team will be a series of road improvements in four separate sections from Baltasound to the site at Lamba Ness.
In the meantime, a 'strip and record' process is already under way on the Lamba Ness site, to register the site’s archaeological history within the terms of the Scheduled Monument Consent granted by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
Once completed, along with the roadworks, construction of the Spaceport itself can begin, ready for launch by the end of this year.
SaxaVord Spaceport intends to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year by naming Pad Three after Her Majesty, named 'Launch Pad Elizabeth'.
SaxaVord’s other launch pads will be named 'Fredo' and 'Calum' respectively.
Frank Strang, chief executive officer of SaxaVord Spaceport commented, “This marks a milestone in our journey to become the UK’s first vertical launch spaceport...
“We have a fantastic team on board, and I am confident that by the end of this year they will have been responsible for establishing the UK’s vertical launch capabilities.”
DITT director Peter Tait, who has family connections to Unst, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as the main contractor to build the Spaceport.
“It is great to see vitality returning to the island and we are excited to get going, initially on the roadworks and ultimately on the site itself.
"We are obviously hoping for a summer of good weather!”
