notablelaunch2026-09-08

SaxaVord Spaceport secures £30 million UK government funding pledge

The UK government pledged £30 million toward SaxaVord's launchpad buildout, part of a £60 million public-private package.

// sources · 3 attached

what happened

The BBC reported September 8 that SaxaVord Spaceport has secured a £30 million UK government investment, to be used to build two more launchpads, as part of the government's new national space strategy; the UK government's own release confirms the £30 million figure. Shetland News reported the government funding is matched by £30 million in private investment for a total £60 million package to complete SaxaVord's three launchpads, mission management infrastructure and a second integration hangar, and that the investment is subject to due diligence and final government sign-off. SaxaVord, the UK's only licensed vertical launch spaceport, has regulatory approval for up to 30 launches a year.

why it matters

The funding targets the specific launchpad and hangar capacity gap that international launch companies including Germany's RFA and HyImpulse have had to work around at SaxaVord, and UK officials say the buildout could let the site handle up to three-quarters of Europe's orbital launch slots, per Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander. The investment is not yet finalized: due diligence and government sign-off are still pending.