Scotland ahead in race to secure UK's first spaceport

But in as little as three years the UK could have its first up-and-running spaceport, where spaceplanes will jet beyond the confines of the earth and return to when their journey is complete.

And chances are that the facility will be in Scotland, with three sites currently in the running to be its permanent home by as soon as 2018.

Campbeltown airport at Machrihanish, in Argyll and Bute, Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire and Stornoway airport on the Western Isles have all been placed on a shortlist that includes Newquay in England and Llanbedr in Wales to host the spaceport and become the vanguard of the UK's burgeoning space industry.

The rush to find a site has been sparked by the growth in commercial spaceflight and a plethora of companies developing spaceplanes capable of leaving earth's atmosphere and coming back safely again without the need for complex rockets such as those required to speed astronauts to the International Space Station.

Spaceplanes are vehicles which can take off and land from a conventional runway, or are borne aloft by a conventional plane and sent spaceward before returning to earth under their own power.

As well as taking paying passengers, they have the potential to transform the cost and flexibility of satellite launches, and the delivery of cargo and scientific payloads.

Although likely decades away, it is also hoped that spaceplanes will also enable intercontinental travel at very high speeds. There have been suggestions that by travelling on a sub-orbital trajectory, journey times from the UK to Australia could be cut from around 20 hours to as little as two.

But the future is coming sooner than most would think - several companies say their spaceplanes will be ready to commence operations within the next five to ten years while, several have also indicated their desire to operate from the UK.

David Ashford, is the founder and managing director of Bristol Spaceplanes, one of the eight companies identified in the Civil Aviation Authorities review of commercial spaceflight.

He said that it is certain that spaceplanes will become a reality in the near future, with many of the concepts already decades old and just waiting for the right conditions to move from artists blueprints to functional life.

The only successful UK-led space launch was that of the Prospero satellite, which took place in Australia in 1971. While there have been UK based businesses, engineers and scientists involved in space programmes, no spacecraft of any description has yet been launched from the UK.

But a Scottish spaceport could change all that.

Mr Ashford said: "Spaceplanes were first envisaged in the 1960s when we were using ballistic missiles to get people into space, and there was a consensus that they would be the next big step, but it never happened.

"The designs were made, but they were never built and now we do not need to start from scratch. We can build on those early plans.

"The biggest obstacle is mindset. We just have to believe. We know how to do it."

He envisages that the first space planes take people into the atmosphere for a few minutes before returning to land at the spaceport.

It is relatively easy to fly a plane to an altitude where the earth's atmosphere ends and space begins, but achieving orbit is far more costly and difficult.

These initial launches will pave the way for more complex craft capable of the sustained flight needed to launch satellites into orbit.

Mr Ashford, an aeronautic engineer and author of the book Space Exploration, said: "You need to reach a speed of about one and a half times the speed of Concorde to reach space and have a few minutes of weightlessness where you could see the whole of the UK beneath you, and that's the sort of trip people would be paying for.

"But you need about 10-12 times the speed of Concorde to actually reach orbit. That's a much bigger endeavour, but it's hopefully still do-able.

"We're really only limited by our imaginations and by cost. The design for our plane is completely workable, but we need about £1 billion to develop it."

The interest in commercial spaceflight within the UK has also attracted the eye of one of the most high-profile companies; Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic.

Although the company's plans to launch a paying passenger into space this year were dealt a blow when their plane crashed last year, the company is pressing ahead with the development of their vehicle.

A Virgin Galactic spokeswoman said: "Virgin Galactic is currently focused on starting commercial operations at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

"As it has long stated and subject to US approvals, Virgin Galactic remains interested in operating outside of the US in the future. The current UK Government space initiatives are noteworthy and comprehensive in their thoughtful approach to space industry expansion."

With only one operating spaceport in Europe, in Sweden, located inside the Arctic Circle, UK Ministers are keen to get in on the ground floor of spaceflight development and are mid-way through a review of the legal and structural framework needed to establish a spaceport.

Business Secretary Vince Cable believes that paving the way for a national spaceport is among the biggest scientific achievement of the parliament, and predicts that up to £400 billion a year to the global economy by 2030.

He said: "Launching satellites and operating commercial space flights from our shores was once only confined to the depths of science fiction, but with the results of this consultation we are one step closer to making this a very real ability in the near future."

Aviation minister Robert Goodwill is of a similar mind, and wants Britain to lead the way in commercial spaceflight.

He added: "Establishing a spaceport will ensure we are at the forefront of this exciting new technology.

"The consultation response marks another step forward in our work to support this emerging industry, which will create jobs and drive economic growth."

Each site has been picked because of its rural location and the opportunity it would provide for development. Any spaceport would have to be located where there are minimal commercial aircraft flight paths, and would have a runway that is at least 3,000 metres long.

The UK Government selection programme is expected to run until October 2015, when the winning candidate will be announced, and all of the areas identified have said they would welcome the chance to become the home of the facility.

A spaceport would bring with it millions of pounds worth of investment, attract skilled jobs and be a destination for tourists and sightseers from around the globe.

Iain Cochrane, Chief Executive of Glasgow Prestwick Airport, said: "Prestwick Airport has been a pioneer of the UK aerospace industry and aviation since its foundation in 1935.

"I believe Prestwick offers the perfect conditions for space launches and our extensive developed concrete airfield and 3km runway provide the facilities needed for all types of re-usable spacecraft in development."

"We have an experienced high-tech aerospace workforce and a substantial aviation and high-tech engineering industrial footprint. Our Scottish Enterprise incentive zone supports the growth of the space industry. Our universities in Glasgow and Ayr are at the forefront of space and aerospace engineering research and teaching.

"While we have safe over-water flight paths, we also have over 4m people within a 2 hour drive giving us access to the widest range of specialists and expertise.

"This combination of features is unique amongst the sites being considered and positions Prestwick as the leading candidate to become the UK's first Spaceport."

Similar enthusiasm is also apparent in Argyll and Bute, where councillors are hoping to establish a 'Cape Campbeltown' as the UK's gateway to space.

Councillor Dick Walsh, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, said: "We are confident that the site offers unique areas of competitive advantage over the others, particularly in terms of its size, over 1000 acres; the length of its runway, the longest in the United Kingdom at over 3km; the location, away from major centres of population, which is a key consideration; the distance from congested airspace and, crucially, the ability to expand.

"Our main focus as a council is on creating jobs, growing our economy and attracting more people to Argyll and Bute. A spaceport would do just that, and really put the area on the global, or even interstellar, map.''

Angus Campbell, leader of Comhairle nan Siar (Western Isles Council) is just as passionate in bringing the spaceport to Stornoway.

He said: "Stornoway has a number of critical features that make it an ideal location. Amongst these are the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean around us.

"We are only one hour away from a host of research and development facilities, we have the University of the Highlands and Islands on our doorstep and our northerly location gives more daylight for more of the year than any other location and we have extremely low air traffic levels."