Planning process begins for Prestwick Spaceport
It is hoped the first launch will happen in 2023
Plans for the Prestwick Spaceport have taken a major step forward as South Ayrshire Council starts the process of submitting a formal planning application.
The development will see horizontal launches from Prestwick, something which isn’t available anywhere else in Europe, by the end of 2023.
South Ayrshire Council has started the process of submitting a formal planning application for the Prestwick Spaceport development. The Proposal of Application Notice (POAN) is the first step in the planning process for Prestwick Spaceport and signals the intent to apply for planning permission in early 2022.
Councillor Peter Henderson, Leader of South Ayrshire Council, commented: “Prestwick Spaceport has achieved another milestone by filing a POAN for its development. The POAN starts the process for Prestwick Spaceport submitting its formal planning application later this year.”
“This follows on from Prestwick Spaceport securing a launch provider, Astraius, in September last year,” continued Councillor Peter Henderson. “By securing a launch partner and beginning the planning process, South Ayrshire is on its way to establishing Prestwick Spaceport and ensuring an exciting future for our local communities and making South Ayrshire part of the global space economy.”
How it will work
It involves an aircraft carrying a rocket containing small satellites a long distance to high altitude above the ocean. Once safely beyond inhabited areas and above the densest layer of the atmosphere, the rocket leaves the aircraft, ignites its engines, and carries its payload to orbit.
Launch operations at Prestwick will therefore consist mainly of processing rockets and their payloads, loading them on to a launch aircraft, and then conventional aircraft take-offs from the existing airport runways.
Prestwick Spaceport has signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with Astraius, the leading UK-based commercial horizontal launch company.
Astraius will launch rockets from standard transport aircraft that require no modification and will be able to place small satellites, such as shoebox sized CubeSats, into a variety of orbits.
These small satellites can be used for a host of applications, such as monitoring climate change or tracking food supply chains to ensure that products in supermarkets are sustainably sourced.
Thousands of jobs
Zoe Kilpatrick, Commercial Director at Glasgow Prestwick Airport said: “We are delighted to see the next stage of the Prestwick Spaceport being developed.
“We are building an industry in Ayrshire which will create jobs and investment for years to come.”
“2022 will see further developments as we partner with more organisations to grow and expand our space capabilities here at Glasgow Prestwick Airport.”
“It is a very exciting time to be involved with the project and I look forward to seeing progress made over the coming months as we approach our first launch in 2023.”
As many as 4,000 jobs could be created in Ayrshire.
The public will be invited to find out more about the Spaceport planning application, ask any questions about the proposed development and give their views at public consultation events to be held in February and March. Further details will be made available in advance of these public consultations.
The Aerospace and Space project is being funded with £32 million from the UK Government, £30 million from the Scottish Government, and £18 million from South Ayrshire Council as part of the £251 million Ayrshire Growth Deal – a ten year investment programme jointly funded by the UK and Scottish governments and local authorities.
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