Skyrora Ltd. has become the first UK-based manufacturer to secure a launch license for a commercial vehicle. Announced on August 4 by the Civil Aviation Authority, the license permits up to 16 launches of the Skylark L sub-orbital rocket from Scotland’s SaxaVord spaceport.
“Becoming the first homegrown company in the UK to receive a launch operator licence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Skyrora. We are pleased to be able to move forward with our launch plans”.
– Volodymyr Levykin, CEO of Skyrora
The license represents a key milestone in the UK’s National Space Strategy, aimed at establishing sovereign launch capabilities for both public and private missions. With over £40 million invested so far in domestic spaceflight infrastructure, the government is backing industry-led efforts like Skyrora’s, which is helping drive regional innovation from its Scottish base and positioning the UK as a rising force in the global space economy.
“Securing the UK’s first launch operator licence is a landmark moment in Skyrora’s plans to become the first company in the UK to build and launch a rocket into space. It is also a significant milestone and a hugely exciting development for the space sector in Scotland, with Skyrora’s partnership with Saxavord spaceport in Shetland meaning we move a step closer to the prospect of a Scottish-headquartered company launching a rocket into space from a Scottish spaceport.”
– Richard Lochhead, Scottish Government Business Minister
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Tech-driven, Earth-minded: Skyrora’s way to space
Skyrora is developing launch vehicles to serve the growing small satellite market while ensuring that the benefits of space directly support life on Earth. With innovations like Ecosene, a sustainable fuel made from unrecyclable plastic, and advanced 3D printing for composite components, the company blends environmental responsibility with cutting-edge aerospace engineering.
The company’s first suborbital vehicle is Skylark L, standing 11 meters tall, capable of carrying 50 kilograms of payload beyond the Kármán line and reaching speeds up to Mach 3.5. Powered by a 30kN bipropellant engine and built using 3D-printed components in the UK, the rocket is designed not only to validate critical systems for Skyrora XL, the company’s orbital launcher, but also to enable cost-effective microgravity research missions.
Its first flight in 2022, launched from Iceland using a mobile ground system, ended prematurely due to a software issue, reaching only 300 meters in altitude. However, the campaign provided vital real-world data on performance, logistics, and recovery, helping refine the technology.
With a license now in hand, Skyrora is preparing for new Skylark L launches from SaxaVord, aiming to reach altitudes of up to 500 kilometers and offering a reusable platform for suborbital experimentation.
Skylark L was originally conceived as a testbed for technologies now maturing in Skyrora XL, the company’s flagship orbital launch vehicle. At 23 meters tall, XL is designed to deliver payloads of up to 315 kilograms into low Earth orbit, using a three-stage architecture with engines fueled by Ecosene and hydrogen peroxide.
Two of the three stages are already complete, with integration tests planned for next year, pending final assembly of the first stage and regulatory approvals. While licensing for orbital missions is still underway, the company hopes the successful authorisation of Skylark L will pave the way for a smoother path to space with Skyrora XL.
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The UK’s bold ascent to space
The United Kingdom aims to become a global leader in space innovation, sustainability, and commercialisation, recognising space as a strategic domain for scientific, economic, and societal progress.
As part of this ambition, the UK Space Programme provides a structured framework to support civil space activities, from climate monitoring and satellite communications to robotics and deep space science, while paving the way for sovereign spaceflight capabilities.
The UK Spaceflight Programme is a specific section of the overall British effort, involving the UK Space Agency, the Department for Transport, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), among others. Since the Space Industry Regulations came into force in July 2021, the CAA has served as the lead regulator for both suborbital and orbital activities, applying a modern, outcome-focused framework designed to balance safety with innovation.
This regulatory backbone underpins Launch UK, the government’s commercial spaceflight programme aimed at fostering a national launch ecosystem. Backed by over £40 million in funding, the UK Space Agency is supporting industry-led projects across vertical launch sites in Scotland, horizontal operations in Cornwall, and feasibility studies at aerodromes nationwide.
With new facilities like the National Satellite Test Facility in Harwell and a growing network of specialised spaceports, the UK is laying the groundwork for a flexible and competitive space economy.
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