UK narrows list of potential spaceport sites
Posted: Wed, Mar 4, 2015, 7:26 AM ET (1226 GMT)
The British government announced Tuesday it has cut two sites from a list of eight potential locations for a commercial spaceport, but at least two of the remaining locations may no longer be interested in hosting launches. The government, in its response to criteria prepared last year by the Civil Aviation Authority that included a shortlist of eight sites, said two of them, RAF Lossiemouth and Kinloss Barracks, would not be considered because of their military uses. A third base, RAF Leuchars, would be limited to temporary use as a spaceport. Of the five remaining sites, the public corporation that owns or operates two of them said it had no plans to submit spaceport proposals for them. The British government has indicated it would like to have at least one commercial spaceport, capable of supporting suborbital spacecraft and air-launch systems that takeoff and land horizontally, in operation by 2018.
The British government announced Tuesday it has cut two sites from a list of eight potential locations for a commercial spaceport, but at least two of the remaining locations may no longer be interested in hosting launches. The government, in its response to criteria prepared last year by the Civil Aviation Authority that included a shortlist of eight sites, said two of them, RAF Lossiemouth and Kinloss Barracks, would not be considered because of their military uses. A third base, RAF Leuchars, would be limited to temporary use as a spaceport. Of the five remaining sites, the public corporation that owns or operates two of them said it had no plans to submit spaceport proposals for them. The British government has indicated it would like to have at least one commercial spaceport, capable of supporting suborbital spacecraft and air-launch systems that takeoff and land horizontally, in operation by 2018.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, February 10
Firefly Targets Feb. 18 For Alpha's Return To Flight
Aviation Week — 7:25 am ET (1225 GMT) Wright State joins U.S. Space Command’s Academic Engagement Enterprise
Spectrum News — 7:24 am ET (1224 GMT) WSU to work with U.S. Space Command
Dayton (OH) Daily News — 7:23 am ET (1223 GMT) Ship Delivers 1st Vulcan Rocket Parts for Inaugural Vandenberg SFB Launch
Noozhawk — 7:23 am ET (1223 GMT) Musk says SpaceX shifting focus to 'self-growing city' on moon before Mars push
Fox Business — 7:19 am ET (1219 GMT) |
