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Scottish spaceport expansion plans include hotel and visitor centre
Plans to create a Scottish spaceport include a new hotel and visitor centre. The island of Unst in Shetland, which is the northern-most part of the UK, is earmarked for the launch site.
The team behind SaxaVord spaceport hopes to build new accommodation near the site, appealing to those keen to see rare birds and wildlife as well as rocket launches.
Thousands attended an attempted launch at a spaceport in Cornwall earlier this year, and hundreds are expected to attend the first orbital blast offs and a viewing area will be set up across a bay, opposite the spaceports’ launch pads.
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Debbie Strang, chief operating officer at SaxaVord, said the company had carried out a study into how many people would come to Unst. She said: “The research said most people wanted to see the base of the rocket. It’s absolutely going to be an added draw for people who have made the decision to come to Shetland, they will come for longer and they’ll try and see a launch.
“If they’re not here for a launch, they will want to come to the site – and they’ll want to understand what space is all about, not just Saxa’s role in that.
“They’ll want some sort of visitor centre and education to understand more about space. So that will be built into the hotel and the plans for that.”
As well as a hotel with around 250 beds, SaxaVord also hopes to reuse a nearby airstrip as a private landing strip. The island is currently accessed by ferry from other parts of Shetland.
The spaceport team stressed the need to manage visitors’ expectations around any rocket launches, which can often be delayed or called off.
Commercial rockets from start-up companies also have a high failure rate, as many are new designs which have not flown before. A planning application has been drawn up and is being submitted to Shetland Islands Council.
The site is near Hermaness nature reserve, which boasts spectacular clifftop views and has a rich variety of wild birds. She said this is currently the “number one” attraction on Unst.
The privately-funded spaceport is still under construction and hopes to host a sub-orbital rocket launch in October. The first launch into space is expected in April next year from a German company called Rocket Factory Augsburg.
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