The UK Civil Aviation Authority has granted Skyrora permission to conduct suborbital launches from the country. They will be conducted from the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands.
Skyrora was founded in 2017 by Ukrainian native Volodymyr Levykin. It has an office in Dnipro. As with many other companies in the “new space” sector, it has set itself the goal of creating a small launch vehicle capable of delivering cargo into orbit at a relatively low cost by launch market standards.
To gain the necessary experience, Skyrora started with suborbital rockets. At present, the company’s main efforts are focused on Skylark L. This 11-meter rocket is capable of delivering 60 kg of payload to an altitude of 120–130 km, which is above the Karman line, accepted as the boundary of outer space.
The first launch of Skylark L took place in 2022 from Iceland and ended in failure. Skyrora is currently preparing for a new rocket test. For this purpose, the company has obtained permission from the British authorities to conduct up to 16 Skylark L launches per year. They will be carried out from the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands.
“Skyrora is proud to be leading efforts that enable launch activity from the UK, and we look forward to achieving a reliable commercial launch programme that benefits us all,” commented Volodymyr Levykin on receiving the permit.
It should be noted that SaxaVord is not expected to be ready for its first launch before early 2026. In the event of significant delays, Skyrora is considering the possibility of launching Skylark L from the Australian Woomera test range.
The successful flight of Skylark L will be an important step towards the creation of the three-stage Skyrora XL rocket, which will be capable of carrying up to 315 kg of payload. Launching from northern latitudes such as the UK will give it easier access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits.
According to SkyNews
