Creating The Landscape For UK Spaceports

The UK is setting its sights on being "the best place in Europe for space flight operations." As the country writes the next chapter of its history in space, the target is to deliver commercial space flight from UK spaceports by 2020. So the ambition is clear. The UK government has laid out its plans for horizontal and vertical launches from the UK, alongside important financial support for new spaceport operators.

First, the UK Space Agency is offering grant funding of up to £10 million (possibly even more in exceptional cases) to encourage those wishing to develop spaceport operations. Proposals must be submitted by joint enterprises, consisting of at least one potential UK spaceport and one small-satellite launch or sub-orbital flight operator. Applicants need to propose a business plan on how they intend to launch small satellites or sub-orbital flights, including space tourism, microgravity flights or spaceplanes, from the UK by 2020. All applications must