First British-made rocket to launch from UK soil

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/01/29/first-british-made-rocket-to-launch-from-uk-soil/

by SojournerInThisVale

15 comments

  1. Should be going all in on this, electrification and electric cars, and nuclear power to provide high skilled jobs and modern industry.

    End the asylum hotels and fund British industry.

  2. Correction, 1st rocket not made with a fairy liquid bottle

  3. Really good to see the government investing in British companies like these. 

  4. Provided Beardy Branson is not involved sounds good.

  6. They usually launch rockets near the equator so to get the extra boost from the earth spin. Weird to launch in Shetland.

  7. Did the Telegraph never watch that classic episode of top gear?

  8. I thought we had a terrible place to launch from, nearer the equator gives an easier launch no?

  9. >Mr Kyle told The Telegraph that the upcoming launch was a “unique opportunity” for the UK to get ahead of its European rivals and would bring “prestige” to the domestic space sector.
    >
    >He also highlighted how the investment forms part of Sir Keir Starmer’s attempt to “hardwire” growth into all Cabinet decisions.
    >
    >Mr Kyle said: “Space is one of the global high-growth sectors. We want to seek to harness that.

  10. This bit is really funny, because I’m from Scotland and before they moved the locals were up in arms against the Highland spaceport. But now the company moved to Shetland, partly due to the local resistance, they are suddenly angry about them leaving

    >Prior to receiving its £20m investment from the Government, Orbex had planned to manage its own rocket base on the Scottish mainland.

    >

    >However, it pulled the plug on the project last year to focus on developing its low-carbon rocket design.

    >

    >The decision to drop the Highlands spaceport was met with dismay from local groups, including Highlands and Islands Enterprise – a development agency – which said it was “deeply disappointed” by the move.

  11. Hold on a second. I distinctly remember a Reliant Rocket reaching for the stars a small time ago.

    Also blimey that released in 2007.

  12. I seem to remember a british company that was trying to win the x-prize back in the day, they launched a rocket and it just blew up live on tv?

    Anyone remember the name? I think it was sponsored by tate and lyle?

  13. Generally sounds like good news and I wish Orbex all the best although I do have reservations. Just last year they abandoned the, Sutherland spaceport project and seemed to have never invested any of the 20 million it had stated back in 2022.

    Plus there hasn’t been any real public development on the rocket show, Germany’s RFA (only missed out last year due to an explosion in testing) and Isar seem to have a real shot at both launching this year and even skyrora has a lot more public testing over the past few years, still good news just don’t get to excited yet.

  14. Has no one seen Wallace and Gromit? – common guys, it’s been out for 30 years already.

  15. > Orbex, which employs around 140 people, is one of a number of space businesses racing to be the first to complete a successful launch from Britain after the failure of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit in 2023.

    > It is hoped that a successful mission could set the UK on a path to providing an alternative to more established space giants, such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, while also giving Britain the ability to carry out its own space missions.

    Does OrbeX have any link to Elon’s SpaceX? Why the spaceport look like a small hut? I always thought spaceports are grand with docking bays.

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