FURTHER CONSULTATION FOR SCOLPAIG SITE
North Uist’s new sub orbital rocket facility reached another milestone last month with the launch
of the ‘Spaceport 1 Airspace Change Consultation’.
The latest window for stakeholder feedback pertains to the proposed introduction of a change in
designation of airspace in the vicinity of Scolpaig, North Uist. The work is being led by QinetiQ
and seeks to ‘establish a safe volume of ‘segregated’ airspace around the Spaceport 1 (SP-1)
launch site on the Outer Hebrides (as shown in Figure 1), to facilitate sub-orbital rocket launch, by
late 2024.’
Although the Spaceport site in Scolpaig lies beneath unregulated airspace, it is just a few miles
from the MOD Hebrides Range at Geirinis. The documentations supporting the proposal states:
“The SP-1 launch site sits outside the existing MOD Danger Areas and as the launch of rockets
poses a risk to other airspace users, there is a need to segregate the launch activity from other
users of the airspace. This can be safely achieved through the establishment of a small volume of
airspace in the form of a Danger Area, around the launch site that is connected to the existing
Danger Areas D701 (MOD Hebrides Range).”
Planning consent for the project limits the number of rocket launches from the site to 10 per year,
but the paperwork suggest backup launch days may be required as a result of weather or
technical delays. In its proposal, QinetiQ confirms that the airspace restrictions are unlikely to be
activated more than 20 times a year.
The documentations also states that: “Benbecula airport will continue to operate normally during
the times that SP-1’s airspace is activated. There may be minor track deviations required for
specific approaches, but these are no different than those routinely flown for weather
considerations, so will have no effect on pricing.”
All information associated with the application can be viewed on the Civil Aviation Authority’s
airspacechange website under Spaceport 1 Scolpaig North Uist. The site also provides links to
the consultation portal and includes published responses to the proposal.
A drop-in session is being held at Hosta Hall, North Uist on Wednesday 17 April from 1pm to
7.30pm. Organisers say the event will offer an informal opportunity for interested parties to find
out more about the airspace change proposal and what it means to them; it will also provide the
opportunity to leave formal feedback if required and an opportunity to offer help in submitting a
response to the consultation.
The consultation remains open until 24th May.
