Latest news with #FrankStrang
The Independent
6 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
SaxaVord founder and boss dies aged 67
The founder and chief executive of SaxaVord Spaceport has died aged 67 after a short battle with cancer. Frank Strang, who founded the UK's first spaceport on the Lamba Ness peninsula on Unst, Shetland, died on Tuesday. It was back in 2017 where Mr Strang began to campaign for a commercial spaceport in Shetland. Alongside his partners Scott Hammond and Debbie Strang, the founder assembled a team which turned SavaVord from a basic blueprint into a reality. Known for his long hair and cowboy boots, Mr Strang's colleagues remembered his drive and determination that helped SaxaVord overcome seemingly impossible odds to become the UK's first fully licensed vertical launch spaceport, complete with launch stool, integration hangar and tracking and telemetry system. Mr Hammond, who is expected to take over as chief executive, said: 'I have been a friend and colleague of Frank since our days together in the RAF, so his death so young is an enormous blow both personally and professionally. 'When we first identified the prospects for a spaceport at Lamba Ness in Unst, Frank would not take no for an answer and broke through barriers that would have deterred lesser people. 'He was a real force of nature, and his vision and his grit got us to where we are today, bringing the Unst and Shetland communities, investors and government with us. 'But our mission is not complete – my job now is to deliver not only the first launch but successive launches that establish the UK as Europe's leader in access to space. 'Both myself and the SaxaVord team feel a strong sense of responsibility to deliver that goal for Frank, and we will, I am in no doubt. 'We are determined to make the UK Europe's leader in vertical launch spaceflight. That will be Frank's legacy, for Shetland, for Scotland and the UK.'
The National
6 days ago
- Business
- The National
Shetland spaceport CEO dies months before first launch
Frank Strang, CEO of SaxaVord SpacePort in Shetland, was diagnosed with cancer last month, aged 67. Prior to his death, the former RAF officer said the prognosis of his diagnosis was between six months to two years. READ MORE: Wasted renewable energy could have powered all Scottish homes in 2025 so far According to BBC reports, he said: "We've all seen stories of people who have been diagnosed with a few months and five or six years later they are still going. "The bottom line is we don't know what the end result will be." He co-founded SaxaVord alongside his wife, Debbie, and Scott Hammond on the site of a former RAF station on the island of Unst. The company was officially launched in 2017, becoming the first fully licensed vertical launch spaceport in the UK, and is preparing for its first launch later this year or in early 2025. In a statement released on the SaxaFord website, Mr Strang was described as having an 'unorthodox style, with his long hair and cowboy boots' and a 'legendary drive' which helped lead the space firm to success. Hammond, who will take over the position of CEO, said: 'I have been a friend and colleague of Frank since our days together in the RAF, so his death so young is an enormous blow both personally and professionally. 'When we first identified the prospects for a spaceport at Lamba Ness in Unst, Frank would not take no for an answer and broke through barriers that would have deterred lesser people. READ MORE: 'Disgusting' vandalism of Scottish UNESCO heritage site condemned 'He was a real force of nature, and his vision and his grit got us to where we are today, bringing the Unst and Shetland communities, investors and government with us. 'But our mission is not complete – my job now is to deliver not only the first launch but successive launches that establish the UK as Europe's leader in access to space. 'Both myself and the SaxaVord team feel a strong sense of responsibility to deliver that goal for Frank, and we will, I am in no doubt. 'We are determined to make the UK Europe's leader in vertical launch spaceflight. That will be Frank's legacy, for Shetland, for Scotland and the UK.'
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Spaceport founder dies before realising dream of rocket launch
The founder of Britain's first vertical spaceport has died without ever seeing rockets launch from the UK. Frank Strang, 67, who pioneered SaxaVord spaceport in Shetland with his wife Debbie, 60, died after a short battle with cancer. Mr Strang was the driving force behind the spaceport, but told The Telegraph in 2023 that the fight to be taken seriously had taken a huge toll on the lives of SaxaVord employees. 'As a company, we've had divorce, deaths, the bailiffs coming round, and almost bankruptcy,' he said. 'We've had to remortgage both the houses. It's almost killed me, my ashes are probably going to go up with the first launch.' Mr Strang, a former Royal Air Force physical education teacher, met his wife Debbie when they served at RAF Lossiemouth in the 1990s. After leaving the air force, the couple took over several decommissioned Ministry of Defence sites for regeneration, and in 2004 acquired RAF SaxaVord on Unst. The 20-acre site had been an air force base in the Second World War, and more recently a listening post during the Cold War. The couple initially housed gas workers at the site, but in 2017, the UK Space Agency launched a competition looking for a spaceport to partner with Lockheed Martin and ABL to develop satellite launch capability from Britain. A feasibility study suggested SaxaVord was the best spot, but the contract was awarded to Sutherland spaceport, leaving The Strang's forced to go it alone with a core team of friends and space enthusiasts. Without the Government's backing, the team struggled to find investors who believed they were serious. Employees had to work on half salaries, or for free, and it was only when progress at Sutherland and other European spaceports began to falter, that rocket companies started knocking at SaxaVord's door. The spaceport was granted the first vertical launch licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2023 and its range licence the following year. Two rocket companies also now have licences to launch from the site with the first lift-off expected within the next six months, delivering small satellites and space experiments into orbit. 'We had a background in making things happen' Mr Strang told The Telegraph that the first launch would be 'two fingers up to the people who tried to put us out of business'. 'When we started, we didn't have a clue what we were getting into,' he said. 'None of us had a background in space. We just had a background in making things happen. It's Local Hero meets Rocky.' Mr Strang was forced to step back from the business in July after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. But he vowed not to 'throw in the towel' and said he still hoped to live long enough to see the first launch. SaxaVord said Mr Strang's death was 'devastating' but said it made the company more determined to deliver a successful launch. Scott Hammond, an ex-fighter pilot and deputy chief executive of SaxaVord, who is expected to take over, was one of the original founders alongside Mr Strang and his wife. He said: 'I have been a friend and colleague of Frank since our days together in the RAF, so his death so young is an enormous blow both personally and professionally. 'When we first identified the prospects for a spaceport at Lamba Ness in Unst, Frank would not take no for an answer and broke through barriers that would have deterred lesser people. 'He was a real force of nature, and his vision and his grit got us to where we are today, bringing the Unst and Shetland communities, investors and government with us. 'But our mission is not complete – my job now is to deliver not only the first launch but successive launches that establish the UK as Europe's leader in access to space. 'Both myself and the SaxaVord team feel a strong sense of responsibility to deliver that goal for Frank, and we will, I am in no doubt.'
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Tributes to 'pioneering' Shetland space port founder Frank Strang
Frank Strang, the driving force behind Shetland's space port, has died at the age of Strang bought a former RAF radar station on Unst about 17 years ago and considered turning it into an eco-tourism the plan changed when the UK government was looking for potential sites for vertical launches of small rockets carrying month Mr Strang announced that he was taking a "step back" from the project after being diagnosed with terminal cancer of the oesophagus. Mr Strang had earlier told how he had been given a life expectancy of six months to two former RAF officer, who lived in Grantown-on-Spey in the Highlands, said last month: "I feel a bit like I've been hit by a steam train."But he added: "We've all seen stories of people who have been diagnosed with a few months and five or six years later they are still going."The bottom line is we don't know what the end result will be."Mr Strang had said his "incredible team" would continue his legacy. SaxaVord UK Space Port - the first fully licensed vertical launch site in Europe - led tributes to it's "pioneering" chief Scott Hammond said Mr Strang's death was an "enormous blow both personally and professionally".He added: "When we first identified the prospects for a spaceport in Unst, Frank would not take no for an answer and broke through barriers that would have deterred lesser people."He was a real force of nature, and his vision and his grit got us to where we are today, bringing the Unst and Shetland communities, investors and government with us."Mr Hammond said the company's mission was not added: "My job now is to deliver not only the first launch but successive launches that establish the UK as Europe's leader in access to space."Both myself and the SaxaVord team feel a strong sense of responsibility to deliver that goal for Frank, and we will, I am in no doubt."We are determined to make the UK Europe's leader in vertical launch spaceflight. That will be Frank's legacy, for Shetland, for Scotland and the UK." Earlier this month, a Scottish company became the first UK-based rocket firm to receive a space launch Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence allows Skyrora to launch from a future launch is successful, the company could become the first British company to manufacture and launch a rocket into space from the Edinburgh-based company and the CAA described it as a "huge milestone".
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Shetland space port founder diagnosed with terminal cancer
The driving force behind Shetland's space port is taking a "step back" from the project after being diagnosed with terminal throat Strang bought a former RAF radar station on Unst about 17 years ago and there was an intention to turn it into an eco-tourism the plan changed when the UK government was looking for potential sites for vertical launches of small rockets carrying Strang told BBC Scotland News he was not stepping down completely and was determined to see his vision through to the first launch, which is expected later this year. SaxaVord UK Space Port is the first fully licensed vertical launch space port in Strang, who was diagnosed about four weeks ago, said he had been given a life expectancy of six months to two 67-year-old, who lives in Grantown-on-Spey in the Highlands, said: "I feel a bit like I've been hit by a steam train."But he added: "We've all seen stories of people who have been diagnosed with a few months and five or six years later they are still going."The bottom line is we don't know what the end result will be."Mr Strang said his "incredible team" would continue his legacy. He also said Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen - Scotland's richest man who owns large areas of land in the Highlands - had pledged to support the project through to its Holch Povlsen had previously supported the space Strang said: "One of the reasons for our success is the incredible support I have been afforded by Anders Povlsen. "His team is very much part of the DNA and success of the project."Last year, the project secured £10m of UK government funding. Engine exploded A number of companies plan to use February, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), from Germany, were thought to have the most advanced plans and it is officially licensed for an RFA launch test, a rocket engine exploded at the spaceport last August. The company said no one was injured and the launch pad had been "saved and is secured".RFA's Jorn Spurmann described it at the time as a "big and wonderful image" which had resulted in "a lot of learning".Another company Orbex, based in Forres in north-east Scotland, announced in December last year it had switched its first launch from Sutherland Spaceport to SaxaVord.
