Scotland’s space sector is bracing for noise

But despite all the brawn and engineering prowess – not to mention the expense – sending a rocket into space is just a means to an end. What they bring into orbit holds the greatest value.

Rowland Fraser (left) and Oren Smith-Carpenter, co-founders of Aurora Avionics (Photo: Aurora Avionics)

Scotland’s space industry is one of the fastest growing in Europe, with over 150 companies employing over 8,000 people in the well-paid, high-quality jobs the country desperately needs to improve its economic performance.

Combined with declared spaceports in Shetland, Sutherland, North Uist, Argyll and Prestwick, Cumbernauld-based Skyrora rocket makers and Orbex in Moray are building the logistics side of the sector in Scotland, but most of the jobs are concentrated around other, less extravagant aspects of the value chain.

One of the newest companies in the industry, Edinburgh-based Aurora Avionics, has just secured £320,000 in funding to further develop an off-the-shelf electronic navigation system that will help reduce the cost of getting rockets to their destinations.

Aurora, founded last year by two former Orbex employees, secured money from Gabriel Investment Syndicate and Scottish Enterprise. This follows early funding from the European Space Agency (ESA), which enabled Aurora to move to a research laboratory at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh.

The company is led by 23-year-old CEO Oren Smith-Carpenter and co-founder Rowland Fraser, the company’s chief technology officer. They hope to have a full prototype of the system ready for testing within a year.

“Oren and I have first-hand experience with the technical challenges of building avionics,” Fraser said.

“Our vision of a universal modular system will create a step change in development time, cost and reliability. We will provide manufacturers with access to the best technologies to power next-generation space vehicles.

READ MORE: Scotland’s space sector is reaching its final frontier

The local presence of rocket makers is a huge benefit to start-ups like Aurora, but if the company is successful in its software projects, it should unlock access to an orbital economy that is already valued at more than £430 billion globally. This number is expected to almost double in the next six years.

“We are in the middle of a second space race, with rocket developers on the verge of launching from UK territory and the number of launches around the world growing exponentially,” says Smith-Carpenter.

“Each company is struggling to deal with the complex and expensive avionics that enable it to launch and control vehicles and, ultimately, place satellites in specific orbits. We want to revolutionize this extremely wasteful process and enable launch vehicle manufacturers to launch rockets quickly and affordably using our modular and reliable systems.

Getting the rockets to the right place is crucial because of their primary payload, which is the growing number of satellites used for a variety of tasks such as predicting weather, providing remote mobile communications, and controlling GPS and SatNav systems. The ability to target specific orbits is essential for various satellite functions.

READ MORE: UK chief considers rocket launch at Scottish spaceport ‘big moment’

Glasgow produces more small satellites than anywhere else in Europe, thanks largely to the presence of AAC Clyde Space, Spire Global and Alba Orbital. It is also a hub for data applications that use information collected from space for a wide and constantly evolving range of purposes.

This is one of the reasons why organizers chose the city to host the inaugural Space-Comm Expo, which will take place on September 11 and 12 at SEC Glasgow. More than 3,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will bring together companies from the UK, Europe and the world.

“Glasgow is a global center for the production of small satellites and data applications, while companies and universities across Scotland play a major role in some of the most complex and important space missions, supporting thousands of jobs,” said British Space Agency Director Anu Ojha.

“There are huge opportunities to build on these successes as we count down to the first launches from Scottish spaceports, catalyze investment from around the world and deliver new space missions and opportunities that will benefit the whole of the UK.”

SaxaVord spaceport on Unst (Photo: SaxaVord)

Following the successful completion of RFA’s four Helix engines earlier this month, SaxaVord is in pole position for the UK’s first vertical rocket launch, but it is not the only spaceport preparing for launch.

Orbex’s new CEO, who is responsible for operational management at Sutherland, has made it clear that the company’s aim is to make the first launch in 2025. Construction of the facility on the A’ Mhoine peninsula is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with the inaugural launch of the Orbex Prime rocket carrying the payload on behalf of Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) scheduled to occur later.

In April, the company completed a £16.7 million fundraising deal to complete work on its Prime micro launchers, which are being built at its main facility in Forres, along with the construction of a spaceport in Sutherland. The aim is to achieve 12 launches per year, assuming planning permission and licensing are granted.

SaxaVord is currently going it alone, with permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for vertical launches in the UK, and is preparing to celebrate with a ribbon cutting ceremony tomorrow.

However, there is still a long way to go in the history of Scotland’s space sector, which has developed quite quietly to gain a foothold in a large global industry with enormous growth potential. Be prepared for the volume to increase dramatically as takeoff approaches.