PARIS: The decision comes after a three-month consultation period, during which the government heard from close to 40 experts, airports and private companies.
The announcements came with the release of a revised shortlist of potential locations, mostly in Scotland. Along with Llanbedr airport in Wales and Newquay Cornwall airport, the main contenders are Stornoway, Campbelltown and Glasgow Prestwick airports, with RAF Leuchars potentially acting as a temporary facility.
This choice of locations is a result of the input the government received during its consultation period. It was determined that in order to minimise danger and inconvenience to the public, the spaceport should be coastally situated, allowing the space-planes to launch towards the sea.
The government hopes to become the world leader in commercial spaceflight, and is aiming to open the spaceport by 2018. If this target is met, it would likely be the first commercial spaceport outside of the U.S., where the majority of sub-orbital aerospace development is currently taking place.
This development is being largely spearheaded by Richard Branson, whose Virgin Galactic division is currently the frontrunner for the first commercial space-travel firm. The company was hit by setbacks last year, however, when the company’s primary craft, SpaceShipTwo, detonated over the Mojave during a test flight.
Tesla driverless system to use updated radar technology
WASHINGTON: Electric carmaker Tesla announced Sunday it was upgrading its Autopilot software to use more advanced radar technology. In a...
