The first rocket launch platform built in the UK for more than 50 years is being prepared for “dress rehearsals” after arriving on site.
It was transported 80 miles on two trucks from Peterhead to Kinloss, near Orbex’s headquarters in Forres, on a three-hour journey, accompanied by a police escort.
The launch platform, named Orbex LP1 and weighing more than 40 tonnes, was then lifted by crane on to the rocket launch test site.
A video recording was made of the journey and can be viewed by clicking here.
This structure was made by Motive Offshore Group, a Scottish company based in Banff, Aberdeenshire, that specialises in designing and manufacturing marine and lifting equipment.
Orbex said the launch pad has been “built and tested to meet strict international standards across highly regulated industry sectors”.
The launch pad will allow Orbex to test its prime rocket, which is a microlauncher designed to send small satellites into low Earth orbit.
Although this cannot take place in Kinloss, Orbex will use this site for a dress rehearsal before the real launch of the Orbex prime rocket when it is transported to the spaceport at Sutherland.
Small satellites weighing under 150kg – such as the Orbex prime rocket – in polar orbits pass above both the north and south poles several times a day.
With the Earth’s rotation, these satellites can capture the entirety of the Earth’s surface several times a week, which is useful for earth observation and global communications.
Developing technology and applications for space exploration is a key focus of Orbex.
Spaceflight firm Orbex has its headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, with additional designing and testing facilities in Denmark.
Its staff come from organisations such as Nasa, the European Space Agency and other spaceflight institutions, and Orbex’s main funding comes from investors including BGF and Octopus Ventures.
Trying different material and techniques to develop launch vehicles for reducing the environmental impact of space exploration is another focus of Orbex.
An example of this is Orbex’s use of bio-propane fuel, a renewable which cuts carbon emissions by 90% compared with hydrocarbon fuel.
Orbex said its environmental approach to space exploration “dramatically improves the carbon footprint and lifecycle impact of the Orbex launch vehicle”.
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