Spaceport Cornwall today was granted the first UK spaceport licence as it gears up for the first orbital space launch from British soil this month, which will be carried out by Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:VORB).
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued the licence to the spaceport, which is based at Cornwall Airport in Newquay, following consent from the government.
Virgin Orbit can now begin ‘wet dress’ rehearsals for the 'Start Me Up' mission in coming weeks and its Cosmic Girl launch vehicle after the spaceport passed safety, security, environment and other conditions to gain its licence for 'horizontal' space launches.
The horizontal launch of Cosmic Girl, a converted Boeing 747, will be the first of its kind on European soil.
At launch, the aircraft will take off like an ordinary jumbo jet from the runway with its LauncherOne rocket under its wing, then once it reaches the required height, the rocket will unclip and fire its engines to power up into space, with a payload of multiple small satellites to be carried into low-Earth orbit, while the plane returns to land.
Right now there is a space rocket in Cornwall.
In
Cornwall
Welcome #LauncherOne. pic.twitter.com/aJS6GV81tp
— Melissa Thorpe (@MelsGoodSpace) October 15, 2022
CAA chief executive Richard Moriarty said granting the licence was a "historic moment" and "another major milestone to enable this country to become a leading launch nation".
Melissa Thorpe, head of Spaceport Cornwall, said: "To be the first Spaceport in the UK with a licence to operate is a historic moment. The regulatory environment created by the Civil Aviation Authority ensures that UK launch will set the global bar in terms of responsibility and transparency.
"Cornwall is now ready to open up the use of Space for Good, and support the UK industry in harnessing the power of space to benefit life on Earth."