# Shetland spaceport project secures £30m of UK government investment

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/shetland-spaceport-project-secures-30m-of-uk-government-investment/
- Published: 2026-09-08T05:31:01+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-08T06:32:32+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Science (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyze8ed774o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Government, Politics, Science, Space, Technology, UK, World

## Key points

- UK government pledges £30m for SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland
- Funding to build a second hangar and two launchpads
- Part of £148m UK space strategy to boost European launch capacity

## Summary

The UK government has announced £30m of investment in SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, part of a new national space strategy aimed at boosting Britain's launch capabilities and reducing reliance on other countries for satellite launches. The funding, described by the spaceport as a "hugely significant" vote of confidence, is expected to unlock a further £30m in private investment, taking the total package to £60m for expanding the site.

The money will be used to build a second hangar and two additional launchpads at the facility, which sits on a former RAF base at Unst, the UK's northernmost point. SaxaVord is the UK's first fully-licensed spaceport, with approval for up to 30 launches a year, and has agreements with two German firms, Rocket Factory Augsburg and HyImpulse Technologies, though a test launch by RFA was paused in August after a technical issue. The Shetland funding forms part of a wider £148m UK investment across Europe, and Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said SaxaVord could eventually handle up to three-quarters of the continent's orbital launch slots; the investment remains subject to due diligence and final sign-off.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.