March 29 2019

A design team comprising Norr Architects, ERZ landscape architects and Arup has been selected by Highlands & Islands Enterprise to bring forward detailed plans for an £18.5m spaceport in Sutherland.

Space Hub Sutherland is backed bv the UK Space Agency who have selected a site at Melness on the remote Moine Peninsula, for the vertical launch facility.

Kevin Stephen, lead architect at NORR, said “The space hub project is exciting, as well as complex and sensitive.

"The integration of a vertical small satellite launch facility, with associated infrastructure into this rural and naturally significant site, presents many interesting challenges for us; the sort of challenge we thrive on. We look forward to getting started.”

Detailed designs will be finalised later this summer to enable construction to proceed in spring 2020.

6 Comments

#1 Posted by D to the R on 1 Apr 2019 at 13:22 PM

Surely a conspiracy? Look at the flags - we all know there is no wind 'tup north

#2 Posted by CadMonkey on 2 Apr 2019 at 10:59 AM

Does anyone know what the middle flag is?

#3 Posted by Neil Armstrong on 2 Apr 2019 at 11:07 AM

Hi CadMonkey..... I assume it is the flag for the uk space agency.....
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency

#4 Posted by cadmonkey on 2 Apr 2019 at 13:34 PM

Why would the UK Space Agency chose to develop a spaceport in a soon to be independent Scotland?
The Cornwall site would have been a less risky option?

#5 Posted by Buzz Aldrin on 2 Apr 2019 at 14:49 PM

He only answered your question cadmonkey, I don't think he had a say in where the spaceport goes.
Maybe it's to do with latitude though?

#6 Posted by Nairn's Bairn on 2 Apr 2019 at 15:33 PM

#4 We actually had a wee vote about that a couple of years ago, I think the response was 'Naw ta".

#5 Buzz is right - it's about the latitude. We're that bit closer to the moon.

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