Latest news with #SaxaVord
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.'
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Scots space rocket pioneer dies just weeks after revealing cancer battle
HE passed away sooner than expected, with his co-creators Scott Hammond and Debbie Strang vowing to keep his dream alive. REACH FOR THE STARS Scots space rocket pioneer dies just weeks after revealing cancer battle Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCOTS space pioneer Frank Strang MBE has died aged 67 after a short battle with cancer - just months before his firm looks set to launch a rocket into orbit. The founder of SaxaVord Spaceport, in Unst, Shetland, was diagnosed with the terminal illness earlier this year and revealed last month that doctors gave him a life expectancy of six months to two years. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 SaxaVord in Unst on the Shetland Islands. Credit: PA But he passed away sooner than expected, with his co-creators Scott Hammond and Debbie Strang vowing to keep his dream alive. Frank, who had cancer of the oesophagus, lived in Grantown-on-Spey in the Highlands and was famous for his long hair and love of cowboys boots. Scott, who is expected to take over as 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. '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.' UK's rocket launch site takes shape ahead of blast off later THIS year It's believed the spaceport will be ready for a first launch later this year or early next - 17 years after Frank bought a former RAF radar station with the inntention to turn it into an eco-tourism attraction. But the plan changed when the UK government was looking for potential sites for vertical launches of small rockets carrying satellites. Danish billionaire and Scotland's richest man Anders Holch Povlsen has also pledged to support the project through to its completion.
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.'
The Advertiser
05-08-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
UK grants space launch licence to Scottish firm
Britain has granted its first space launch licence to a homegrown rocket company, paving the way for a Scottish start-up to send satellites into space from the UK's first vertical launch spaceport. Skyrora, which was founded in 2017, would be able to conduct up to 16 launches a year, subject to further approval by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the regulator said. The Scotland-based company would use the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, northern Scotland, which received a key safety licence last year, meaning rockets could be launched from the site in the future. However, SaxaVord has told Skyrora that there is no availability for a launch in 2025, the Financial Times reported. Skyrora chief executive Volodymyr Levykin said in a statement the firm's priority was to launch from Britain but it expected a delay. "Despite having a vehicle ready and a launch license, it is unlikely that Skyrora will be able to complete its launch from the UK this year," Levykin said. He said the company had options to launch from Australia, Oman and potentially Iceland. "Granting a home-grown company, Skyrora its launch licence is a major milestone for our space sector and our nation," CAA chief executive Rob Bishton said. The space market is forecast to be worth over $US1 trillion by 2030 as companies around the world plan to deploy thousands of internet-beaming satellites. Britain has been looking to add launch capabilities to its space industry, which employs over 45,000 people and builds more satellites than anywhere outside the United States. But those efforts were dealt a major blow in early 2023 when a horizontal rocket launch from Newquay, southwest England, failed. A successful vertical launch from SaxaVord would revive the industry's prospects. Skyrora needs to meet a number of conditions before any launch, including adequate insurance, a data-sharing deal with the British government and airspace agreements with other countries. Britain has granted its first space launch licence to a homegrown rocket company, paving the way for a Scottish start-up to send satellites into space from the UK's first vertical launch spaceport. Skyrora, which was founded in 2017, would be able to conduct up to 16 launches a year, subject to further approval by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the regulator said. The Scotland-based company would use the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, northern Scotland, which received a key safety licence last year, meaning rockets could be launched from the site in the future. However, SaxaVord has told Skyrora that there is no availability for a launch in 2025, the Financial Times reported. Skyrora chief executive Volodymyr Levykin said in a statement the firm's priority was to launch from Britain but it expected a delay. "Despite having a vehicle ready and a launch license, it is unlikely that Skyrora will be able to complete its launch from the UK this year," Levykin said. He said the company had options to launch from Australia, Oman and potentially Iceland. "Granting a home-grown company, Skyrora its launch licence is a major milestone for our space sector and our nation," CAA chief executive Rob Bishton said. The space market is forecast to be worth over $US1 trillion by 2030 as companies around the world plan to deploy thousands of internet-beaming satellites. Britain has been looking to add launch capabilities to its space industry, which employs over 45,000 people and builds more satellites than anywhere outside the United States. But those efforts were dealt a major blow in early 2023 when a horizontal rocket launch from Newquay, southwest England, failed. A successful vertical launch from SaxaVord would revive the industry's prospects. Skyrora needs to meet a number of conditions before any launch, including adequate insurance, a data-sharing deal with the British government and airspace agreements with other countries. Britain has granted its first space launch licence to a homegrown rocket company, paving the way for a Scottish start-up to send satellites into space from the UK's first vertical launch spaceport. Skyrora, which was founded in 2017, would be able to conduct up to 16 launches a year, subject to further approval by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the regulator said. The Scotland-based company would use the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, northern Scotland, which received a key safety licence last year, meaning rockets could be launched from the site in the future. However, SaxaVord has told Skyrora that there is no availability for a launch in 2025, the Financial Times reported. Skyrora chief executive Volodymyr Levykin said in a statement the firm's priority was to launch from Britain but it expected a delay. "Despite having a vehicle ready and a launch license, it is unlikely that Skyrora will be able to complete its launch from the UK this year," Levykin said. He said the company had options to launch from Australia, Oman and potentially Iceland. "Granting a home-grown company, Skyrora its launch licence is a major milestone for our space sector and our nation," CAA chief executive Rob Bishton said. The space market is forecast to be worth over $US1 trillion by 2030 as companies around the world plan to deploy thousands of internet-beaming satellites. Britain has been looking to add launch capabilities to its space industry, which employs over 45,000 people and builds more satellites than anywhere outside the United States. But those efforts were dealt a major blow in early 2023 when a horizontal rocket launch from Newquay, southwest England, failed. A successful vertical launch from SaxaVord would revive the industry's prospects. Skyrora needs to meet a number of conditions before any launch, including adequate insurance, a data-sharing deal with the British government and airspace agreements with other countries. Britain has granted its first space launch licence to a homegrown rocket company, paving the way for a Scottish start-up to send satellites into space from the UK's first vertical launch spaceport. Skyrora, which was founded in 2017, would be able to conduct up to 16 launches a year, subject to further approval by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the regulator said. The Scotland-based company would use the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, northern Scotland, which received a key safety licence last year, meaning rockets could be launched from the site in the future. However, SaxaVord has told Skyrora that there is no availability for a launch in 2025, the Financial Times reported. Skyrora chief executive Volodymyr Levykin said in a statement the firm's priority was to launch from Britain but it expected a delay. "Despite having a vehicle ready and a launch license, it is unlikely that Skyrora will be able to complete its launch from the UK this year," Levykin said. He said the company had options to launch from Australia, Oman and potentially Iceland. "Granting a home-grown company, Skyrora its launch licence is a major milestone for our space sector and our nation," CAA chief executive Rob Bishton said. The space market is forecast to be worth over $US1 trillion by 2030 as companies around the world plan to deploy thousands of internet-beaming satellites. Britain has been looking to add launch capabilities to its space industry, which employs over 45,000 people and builds more satellites than anywhere outside the United States. But those efforts were dealt a major blow in early 2023 when a horizontal rocket launch from Newquay, southwest England, failed. A successful vertical launch from SaxaVord would revive the industry's prospects. Skyrora needs to meet a number of conditions before any launch, including adequate insurance, a data-sharing deal with the British government and airspace agreements with other countries.
