Construction of launchpad for Scotland’s space port is completed

The launchpad that will eventually serve a space port in Sutherland has completed construction, the firm behind the project has said.

The Orbex LP1 was transported to the company’s test site at Kinloss, Moray, on two trucks – flanked by a police escort.

A video published by Orbex showed the journey the launchpad took to arrive at its site.

The construction means “dress rehearsals” can take place of the launch of the Orbex Prime rocket.

The Orbex Prime, which will eventually launch from the Sutherland site, will transport small satellites into low earth orbit.

Last year, the space port cleared a major hurdle when Scotland’s largest land owner lost a legal bid to halt the development of the site.

Danish  billionaire Anders Povlsen, who owns the majority stake in the clothing website Asos, said the development could be damaging to local wildlife.

In a Court of Session judgment, Lord Doherty rejected the legal challenge brought by Mr Povlsen’s company, Wildland Ltd, against Highland Council, saying he was “not persuaded” the local authority had breached any law.

Lord Doherty considered that “none of the grounds of challenge is well-founded”.