Rocket manufacturer Orbex has recruited a technology entrepreneur and a former space agency chief to head up operations as it prepares for completion of its Sutherland Spaceport on the north coast of Scotland.

Orbex said the appointment of Phillip Chambers to the post of chief executive and Miguel Belló Mora as executive chairman comes a a "critical time" for the Moray-based company, which ultimately intends to launch up to 12 of its Orbex Prime micro-launchers per year from Sutherland. The appointments come just weeks after confirmation that Orbex has secured £3.3 million in funding to support further construction at Sutherland.

Mr Chambers, who takes over from interim chief executive Martin Coates, joins with more than two decades of experience in building technology platforms for some of Europe’s most successful start-ups. Among these are classified ad site Gumtree, employee software developer Peakon, (now owned by cloud software giant Workday), and Germand website operator Qype, which was acquired by Yelp in 2012.

Mr Chambers is also an investor in Orbex journey, having participated in the company's £40.4m Series C funding round in 2022.

Orbex has secured six commercial satellite launch contracts in anticipation of its rockets and spaceport becoming fully operational, though no date for this has been confirmed.

READ MORE: Scottish rocket company Orbex lands launchpad funding

“It’s a hugely exciting time to be joining Orbex and the global space industry as we look ahead to a significant period of growth for the business," Mr Chambers said. "As we progress towards the completion of the Sutherland Spaceport and our continuing work towards our first launch, we’re about to embark on an incredible journey.

"Orbex’s work is pivotal in making the UK a hub for European orbital launch, and after having already invested in the vision, I’m looking forward to focusing all my energy on driving Orbex towards the next phase of growth.”

Mr Belló Mora most recently held the role of director general of the Spanish Space Agency, and was commissioner for the Aerospace Strategic Project for Economic Recovery and Transformation (PERTE) where he oversaw a €4.5 billion programme for the Spanish aerospace sector. He is the founder and former chief executive of DEIMOS space group and previously chief executive of the Atlantic International Research Centre.

READ MORE: Scotland's space industry prepares to go into orbit

“I’ve never experienced a more exciting time during my 40 years in the space industry," he said. "Orbex’s ambition to continually drive the industry forward in both technology and green innovation, is unique for the business, and I am pleased to be able to help shape this.

"To be joining at the same time as Phil is an added bonus, and I look forward to working closely together during what is shaping up to be a crucial few years for Orbex.”