Sutherland Spaceport

Space Hub Sutherland (also called Sutherland Spaceport) is a planned vertical launch spaceport under development at A'Mhòine peninsula in Sutherland, Highland, Scotland, at approximately 58.5°N — the highest-latitude licensed orbital launch site currently in development in Europe. The site is operated by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), a Scottish government economic development agency, in partnership with Orbex, the UK-Danish launch startup that has selected Sutherland as the primary launch site for its Orbex Prime small launch vehicle.

Sutherland's extreme northern latitude provides a natural advantage for sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) launches — the high-inclination polar orbits favored by Earth observation satellites. Launching northward from 58.5°N requires less orbital plane change than from lower-latitude sites and allows direct ascent into SSO trajectories that overfly both poles, providing global coverage for remote sensing missions. The A'Mhòine peninsula's remoteness, sparse population, and position on the north coast of Scotland provides the safety corridors over open ocean to the north and east needed for rocket downrange trajectories.

Orbex Prime is designed as a small launch vehicle targeting 180 kg to SSO, using bio-propane (a renewable propellant derived from biowaste) and liquid oxygen in a staged-combustion engine cycle. The vehicle's 1.8 m diameter and approximately 19 m height make it compatible with road transport to the remote Sutherland site. Orbex has stated it aims to conduct the first launches from Sutherland, offering UK sovereign launch access and avoiding dependence on non-UK launch facilities for British government and commercial small satellite operators.

The spaceport's development has involved planning approvals from Highland Council, environmental assessments for the ecologically sensitive peatland environment (a protected SSSI), and infrastructure construction including a launch pad, assembly building, and access road. The site is expected to support multiple launches per year at full operational capability. Sutherland competes with SaxaVord Spaceport (Unst, Shetland Islands) and Prestwick Spaceport for UK commercial launch business, while facing international competition from Andøya Space (Norway) and RocketLab's Launch Complex 1 (New Zealand) for SSO rideshare customers.