Scots nature agency s concerns for seabirds from space centre plan Scotland’s natural heritage agency has raised concerns for important seabird colonies from a proposed space centre in Shetland. NatureScot is to insist that managers of the proposed spaceport in Shetland does not carry out rocket launches during the breeding season fearing that without that protected populations on the island of Unst could disappear. The plan is for the space centre to be be used by Lockheed Martin s UK Pathfinder satellite launch system and it would enable up to 30 launches per year. It follows the UK Space Agency approving Lockheed Martin’s plan to use a £23.5m grant to move its UK Pathfinder Launch to the most northerly inhabited island in Scotland as part of the UK’s spaceflight programme.
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image captionUnst has been chosen as a site because of its clear airspace
Plans for a space launch facility in Shetland, which it s claimed could support hundreds of jobs, have been formally submitted.
The Shetland Space Centre proposals include three launch pads for rockets of up to 30m (98ft) tall.
Unst is Scotland s most northerly inhabited island and is seen as a good location because of its clear airspace.
The plans, submitted by consultants Farningham Planning, also include a hide to watch wildlife.