First Minister John Swinney has announced plans to investigate concerns regarding public investment in the Sutherland Spaceport project, which has been unexpectedly put on hold. The decision comes after Orbex, the rocket manufacturing company developing the site, announced a pause in construction to focus on launches from the rival SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.
The Sutherland Spaceport, located on the north coast of the Scottish mainland, received £14.6 million in public sector investment over several years, including contributions from the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
This significant investment has raised questions about the project’s future and the potential recovery of public funds. During First Minister’s Questions, Labour MSP Rhoda Grant raised the issue, stating: “The spaceport was a positive development for the Sutherland community, bringing 40 jobs and economic benefits to a part of the Highlands that has suffered from depopulation.”
She urged the First Minister to intervene and explore options for continuing development or recouping the public investment.
Swinneycommitted to investigating the matter, emphasising that there are contractual arrangements in place for grant funding, suggesting that these agreements may provide a framework for addressing the situation.
Swinney’s probe aims to determine the status of the invested funds and explore potential options for the project’s future or the recovery of public money. The pause in the Sutherland Spaceport development has left the site partially completed, with a “floating road” over a giant peat bog but without launch facilities.
Meanwhile, Orbex plans to launch its first rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport in 2025, citing a focus on its core mission of producing rockets rather than building spaceports.
It is among several firms that will utilise launch pads at the spaceport located on Unst to send satellites into orbit, capitalising on a profitable worldwide market for space launches.
