Lockheed Martin has selected California start-up ABL Space Systems to launch an RS1 rocket from a new spaceport on the island of Unst in the Shetland Islands.

The mission, called the UK Pathfinder launch, will place a tug developed by MOOG in the UK into orbit which will then deploy six 6U cubesat satellites.

This launch, planned for 2022, will fulfil a $31 million contract made by the British government to Lockheed Martin in 2018 to develop a domestic launch capability.

The flight was originally intended to launch from a facility on the A'Mhoine Peninsula in Sutherland on the Scottish mainland.

Lockheed changed locations to Unst in 2020, which will avoid conflicts with Orbex, a UK based small launch vehicle developer that also planned to launch from Sutherland.

Lockheed did not disclose which vehicle it will use for the launch, and does not have a compatible small launch vehicle of its own, though it has invested in companies working on appropriate vehicles, including ABL Space Systems and Rocket Lab.

ABL said its GS0 launch system is “fully self-contained” and doesn’t require any fixed infrastructure at the spaceport.

Shetland Space Centre will provide a flat concrete launch pad, bulk propellant and gas commodities, and a mission control centre.

The UK launch still requires more export and launch licensing paperwork for ABL including documents from both the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority.

The RS1 rocket is in its final stages of development, with a first launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California scheduled for the second quarter of 2020.

ABL said they expect this to be the first in a series of launches from the UK.

“We’re hoping to establish a regular launch cadence from Shetland Space Centre, allowing us to better serve the European satellite market,” an ABL spokesman said. “We are beginning to formulate our European strategy and recently incorporated an ABL UK subsidiary to support these efforts.”

Nik Smith, regional director of Lockheed Martin Space, said: “We are absolutely committed to the success of this program and the world-class capability that ABL Space Systems brings will allow us to build on our long-standing partnership with the UK and strengthen the growth of the UK space sector.”

“We want the UK to be the first in Europe to launch small satellites into orbit, attracting innovative businesses from all over the world,” said Ian Annett, deputy chief executive of the UK Space Agency. “Lockheed Martin’s selection of ABL Space Systems for their UK Pathfinder launch brings us one step closer to realizing this ambition, putting the UK firmly on the map as Europe’s leading small satellite launch destination.”

Share Story: