Scotland’s new spaceport is expected to start launching rockets into orbit a year ahead of schedule amid signs that a new space race is emerging in Europe.
The first launch from the A’Mhòine peninsula, in Sutherland, is now set for 2020, according to Lockheed Martin, the US company that is developing the project. It comes after research commissioned by the UK Space Agency warned that Scotland risked being usurped by Scandinavia in the race to build Europe’s first spaceport.
Northern Europe is the ideal location for reaching polar orbits, which offer clear transmission signals to Earth for satellites and continuous sunshine for solar-powered batteries. However, the Highlands is not the only site with access to these prized orbits, with rival bids emerging in Norway and