Did you know Glasgow manufactures more satellites than any other city in Europe? Or that Edinburgh aspires to become Europe’s space data capital? Or that Scottish companies have developed hardware sitting on moons across the solar system? From Europe’s first spaceports to contributing to world-leading science, Scotland is punching above its weight when it comes to space.
Over the coming months we’ll dive into the details of Scotland’s space sector, sharing the work of the rocket scientists, data analysts, spacecraft engineers, and entrepreneurs with space ambitions. We’ll also take a look at what makes Scotland’s space sector unique — from our craggy geography to our focus on earth observation satellites and greener spaceflight.
To get started, we’ve prepared a scenic tour of the Scottish space landscape, providing an overview of space activities in Scotland. These activities can be roughly split into three segments; the manufacture and launch of rockets and satellites, known as “upstream” activity; the production and use of space data and space services, known as “downstream” activity; and space research and development. Of these three segments, upstream activity might be the most familiar.
Ask the average person to picture space, and they’ll conjure up images of satellites, rockets, and astronauts. While it may be some time before we see a Scot in orbit, there is still an exciting variety of upstream space activity in Scotland,
Two companies based in Scotland, Skyrora and Orbex, are developing rockets to ferry small satellites into orbit. These rockets — known as launchers within the space industry— will stand around 20m high, about a third of the height of the Scott monument. What distinguishes them from the crowd of rockets under development across the world is their green credentials.
Skyrora’s XL launcher, for instance, will run on Ecosene, a fuel derived from unrecyclable plastics.
Of course, launching a rocket requires somewhere to launch from, and sites from Prestwick to Shetland are developing plans to become orbital spaceports. Rather than the miles of gleaming concrete and towering gantries at Cape Canaveral, Scottish spaceports will rely on small launchpads and support infrastructure that fits into a shipping container. As well as traditional rocket launches, another exciting prospect is to use air-launched rockets, carried by modified commercial aircraft taking off from existing airport runways.
Whatever the launch method, Scotland’s northerly location is perfect
for launching to polar orbits. These commercially lucrative orbits carry satellites above both the north and south poles, letting satellites observe the whole Earth. This allows satellites to play a vital role in monitoring climate change and pollution, and to connect remote areas with broadband data services. As well as providing easy access to polar orbits, Scotland’s sparsely inhabited coastline also allows rocket launches to avoid populated areas.
The lightweight launchers under development complement another Scottish speciality — small satellites. Glasgow-based Spire have built over one hundred small satellites and AAC Clyde Space produces both satellite components and complete ‘CubeSats’. These lightweight, miniaturised satellites provide a low-cost and more sustainable means of capturing images of Earth, gathering scientific data, or testing exciting new technologies. Alba Orbital, also based in Glasgow, produce tiny but capable satellites around half the size of a can of Irn-Bru.
This menagerie of satellites, along with the hundreds of other Earth observation satellites in orbit, produces a steady stream of space data, and Scottish companies are working to analyse this data and put it to use. From identifying illegal fishing and mining around the globe to mapping out natural resources, data companies are using space imagery
to learn more about our planet and make more sustainable decisions.
Beyond Earth observations, almost every aspect of modern life relies in some way on satellites — from validating card payments to helping ships navigate from port to port. Even surprising sectors such as finance rely on the precise timing provided by orbiting atomic clocks. Scottish companies are finding innovative ways to use space data to make day-to-day life easier, safer, and smarter.
In addition to growing upstream and downstream sectors, Scotland’s space research is thriving, with academics across the country tackling problems in fields from space weather to orbital dynamics.
Scientists at the UK Centre for Astrobiology in Edinburgh explore the extremes of life in the universe, while engineers and astronomers at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre build instruments for world-leading telescopes both on ground and in space.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Strathclyde and University of Glasgow explore cutting-edge technologies for space exploration, ranging from space manufacturing to space robotics to solar sails. Scotland’s colleges and universities also provide a key advantage to the space sector — a steady stream of skilled graduates and apprentices.
With world-class research, the prospect of launches from home soil and well-established satellite manufacture and space data industries, Scotland’s space sector covers almost the entire range of space activity.
Over the coming months, we’ll explore the individual aspects of the Scottish space sector in more detail, feature interviews with the people dreaming big about space, and take deep dives into some of the most exciting developments in Scotland’s space sector and its supply chain.
Watch this space!
Space sector launches a green challenge
Scotland’s space sector has challenged the country's environmental groups, government bodies, business, academia and the wider public at large to help it solve some of the key environmental challenges of our time.
As the sector moves towards a first satellite launch from home soil, it has launched the Sustainable Space Challenges, inviting submissions from groups to task the space industry with finding solutions for current and future environmental issues and explore its potential to be a net zero sector.
The overarching aim of the challenge is to showcase the space sector’s solutions to environmental challenges – through the use, for example, of small, earth observation satellites, which are something of a UK speciality as well as providing a platform for engagement between key stakeholders and the public around the forthcoming space launch.
The submission period for challenges opens today and will remain open until the end of the month. At the end of this period, three key challenges will be selected by an independent judging panel. These will then be addressed by a group of space experts who will collaborate on finding solutions during a series of workshops set to run throughout March.
The outcomes deriving from the Sustainable Space Challenges workshops will be presented back to challengers and judges for assessment at the Net Zero Space Summit in May this year.
The activity will build the foundation for shaping the development of a formalised Environmental Strategy – believed to be the first of its kind worldwide – for the UK Space sector.
The organisers hope to present findings and case studies at the November 2021 COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, a city that builds more small satellites than anywhere outside of California.
“The SSLC are excited to work in partnership with the Scottish Government to kick-start vital discussions that address common misconceptions and concerns surrounding space sustainability,”said Kristina Tamane, Space Business Development Executive at the University of Edinburgh and one of the campaign organisers from SSLC.
She added: “By gathering specific challenges from the businesses, universities, leading environmental group and the wider public, we aim to create accountability in a productive and proactive way, while highlighting the many environmental benefits of space and fostering a sector-wide focus on sustainability’.
The initiative has been developed with the active cooperation of environmental groups and has been backed by the Scottish Government — all of whom are working to create an economically viable, inclusive and environmentally conscious space sector in the UK.
Trade, Innovation and Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee said: “I am delighted that the SSLC is working in partnership with the Scottish Government to further the understanding and role of the space sector in the global fight against climate change.
“Space has been identified as a key growth sector for Scotland as we continue our progress to deliver a fully end-to-end capability for small satellites.
“We firmly believe that space has a key role as a force for good. This is well reflected through the sector in Scotland which has environmental considerations as a core thread of all activity, whether that is manufacturing launch vehicles that can operate with non-recycled plastic waste or monitoring changes in carbon emissions from satellites.
“We are proud to be part of this activity and look forward to the exciting and innovative solutions that it will generate to the defining issues of our time.”
The Sustainable Space Challenges contest is now open for submissions at
https://bit.ly/EnvSpace
Responsive Access in talks with satellite test facility
Space mission management firm Responsive Access are in advanced talks on a collaboration with the Higgs Centre for Innovation in Edinburgh (part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council) that would see them offer payload testing opportunities for their satellite customers from the Royal Observatory site, before delivering them to spaceports for launch into orbit.
The launch brokerage firm, which participates in the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre UK programme and are also based in Edinburgh, has developed an online application to provide payload manufacturers with a streamlined, ‘one stop shop’ for reaching orbit.
As well as matching satellites with suitable rocket launch partners, their innovative portal offers ‘CubeSat’ developers insurance coverage and a range of ancillary services based on their mission requirements. A common issue for small satellite developers is finding suitable environmental testing facilities to check subsystems against various external stresses, something that Edinburgh’s Higgs Centre specialises in with a wide range of test equipment on site.
Chief Operations Officer of Responsive Access, Krystyna Lenshyna, said: “Having secured ESA BIC UK support in developing our online portal to this point and built up several strong client relationships, the logical next step is to secure partners who can provide key services to our satellite customers.
“We hope to finalise this partnership and several others in the coming weeks, helping us deliver a more comprehensive solution through our mission management platform.”
To discuss participation, contact Stephen McTaggart on 07788 367461
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