The UK's space race is heating up after a milestone suborbital rocket launch in Shetland.
Edinburgh-based Skyrora launched its Skylark Nano rocket from remote land on the Fethaland Peninsula on Saturday.
The team plan to launch from one of the three proposed spaceports in Scotland, and say commercially launching from Shetland in the future is possible in the future.
"The launch signifies a vital step towards Skyrora’s ambitions to become the UK’s “go-to” satellite launch provider. We’re ecstatic and truly proud," said Robin Hague, head of launch.
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"This is a great success for Skylark Nano, and the Skyrora team in general. Launching from Shetland is very important for us because it’s a potential option for our Skyrora XL orbital commercial launch vehicle. To understand the local launch conditions, learning more about the wind profiles in Shetland is critical.
"Skylark Nano’s third successive launch is testament to the engineers who have worked tirelessly to bring to life a reusable rocket that can provide valuable intelligence for the future of the UK space programme."
The two-metre projectile reached an altitude of six kilometres and was completed for educational purposes
It collected meteorological data, measured wind profiles and analysed the trajectory of the vehicle to support the company's future plans.
It comes after Skyrora successfully completed a full static fire test on their Skylark-L launch vehicle last month.
Volodymyr Levykin, Skyrora CEO, said: "With this successful launch from Shetland we are further closing the gap to making the UK a rocket launching nation again.
READ MORE: Skyrora intent on being the UK’s first vertical launch company of choice.
"For Skyrora this test was all about learning and training. The innovation at Skyrora is enormous, not only are we producing high-quality results, but we are doing so with minimum impact to the environment as we strive to develop eco-friendly technology in our launches.
"At a time of such uncertainty it is important we keep focusing on ingenuity and enterprise. We hope reaching space will inspire the whole nation and show the younger generation what the future of UK Space holds."
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