First UK Spaceport wins license, boosting Branson launch bid

The UK issued its first-ever spaceport license to a launch hub in southwest England, paving the way for a ground-breaking mission by billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit Holdings later this month. The UK Civil Aviation Authority granted the license to Spaceport Cornwall following official sign-off from Transport Secretary Mark Harper, approving the base’s safety and security together with the infrastructure and equipment needed for horizontal space launches, according to a statement Wednesday. The CAA said it’s also in the “very advanced stages” of giving the go-ahead for the Virgin Orbit mission, as well as licensing the companies planning to deploy satellites on what will be the first orbital launch from the UK and western Europe. Virgin’s re-purposed Boeing 747 will take off from Cornwall carrying a rocket under its wing which will then blast away at high altitude. The CAA, which took over UK space regulation after the country’s split from the European Union, is also progressing applications from other would-be spaceports, including the proposed SaxaVord launch site in Scotland. Britain is seeking to establish a network of hubs able to undertake a variety of missions, including more traditional vertical launches, amid rapid growth in the planned deployment of communications satellites. The UK space industry is already worth around GBP16.5b, supporting 47,000 jobs. <br/>