Preparations for Shetland Rocket Launch
- Submitted by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
- Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
- Motion reference: S6M-13444
That the Parliament congratulates Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) on the successful testing of its rocket engines at SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland; acknowledges the significance of the "hot-fire test campaign", which saw four Helix engines ignited sequentially and running simultaneously for eight seconds, with a total hot-fire duration of 20 seconds; notes reports that the tests were conducted flawlessly, passing through start-up, steady-state, and shutdown phases without any issues; welcomes the granting of a "range licence" by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to SaxaVord Spaceport, enabling the control of sea and airspace during launches; recognises the reported potential for RFA to be the first to launch an orbital mission from Shetland by the end of 2024, and commends all involved for their efforts in advancing Scotland's role in the growing space industry.
Supported by:
Karen Adam, Clare Adamson, Jeremy Balfour, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Jackson Carlaw, Sharon Dowey, Tim Eagle, Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser, Meghan Gallacher, Kenneth Gibson, Pam Gosal, Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, Craig Hoy, Liam Kerr, Stephen Kerr, Ruth Maguire, Roz McCall, Edward Mountain, Audrey Nicoll, Emma Roddick, Alexander Stewart, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance, Sue Webber, Annie Wells, Tess White, Brian Whittle