On August 5, 2025, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) granted Skyrora the country’s first vertical launch vehicle licence awarded to a UK‑headquartered company.
This milestone authorises Skyrora to launch its Skylark L suborbital rocket from the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, enabling up to 16 missions per year from this facility.
A watershed moment
Skyrora now officially leads the UK’s emerging space launch sector, with full national credentials, from hardware design to on-site launches. This development supports the UK’s ambition for domestic sovereignty in spaceflight.
The permit followed long regulatory scrutiny, evaluating safety, environmental planning, insurance, and UK airspace management. Once all conditions are satisfied, a launch campaign can be scheduled.
What’s next for Skyrora?
Skylark L – an 11‑metre, single‑stage rocket capable of delivering ~50 kg payloads – will now shift toward operational deployment from UK soil. This suborbital platform serves as an essential testbed for validating technologies used in the upcoming Skyrora XL, a larger three‑stage orbital launcher designed to carry up to 315 kg into sun‑synchronous orbit (~500–1,000 km altitude).
Volodymyr Levykin, CEO of Skyrora, said:
“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. Given that operators like us, alongside the CAA, have been forging a new path, the journey to getting our UK licence has been a long but ultimately rewarding one. Safety is paramount to us, and so we are grateful to the CAA for its diligence in ensuring any launch activity is held to the highest of standards.
It is essential that the UK has sovereign launch capabilities. Not only to unlock commercial activity for companies that need to access space and to help achieve the government’s objectives for becoming a global player in the space sector, but also from a strategic defence consideration. Skyrora is proud to be leading efforts that enable launch activity from the UK and we look forward to achieving a reliable commercial launch programme that benefits us all.”
Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead MSP commented:
“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.”
Challenges remain: launch slots and timelines
Despite the licence being in hand, the company faces unexpected hurdles: no launch pad availability at SaxaVord for the remainder of 2025. The site has prioritised rival operator Orbex, forcing Skyrora to explore backup launch sites, including overseas options like Australia, to meet its schedule.
As a result, what was initially expected to be a spring 2025 launch could now slip into 2026, depending on slot availability and site readiness.
One step closer to orbit
Skyrora’s newly granted launch licence isn’t just a company milestone – it’s a transformative moment for the UK’s space sector, with Scotland firmly at its centre.
This approval from the UK CAA paves the way for rockets launched from UK soil, a key step toward sovereign launch capability. But its impact extends far beyond a single mission. It signals Scotland’s rise, as home to SaxaVord Spaceport and a growing space cluster – to the forefront of the next industrial revolution: the global space economy.
This is about more than science – it’s about jobs, innovation, and long-term national resilience. Scotland already accounts for one-fifth of all UK space roles, and this licence strengthens its case as Europe’s gateway to low Earth orbit.
Infrastructure constraints may delay Skyrora’s first launch, but the foundation is firmly laid. This isn’t just a green light for a rocket – it’s a launch signal for Scotland’s future in space.
Building the team behind the UK’s first vertical launch
Every successful launch begins with the right people, and Alexander Associates is proud to have helped assemble the team powering Skyrora’s mission.
As Skyrora’s exclusive recruitment partner for over a year, we’ve played a pivotal role in scaling their in-house talent across critical functions. From propulsion engineering to launch operations and programme delivery, we’ve placed more than 30 highly skilled professionals who are now directly contributing to the UK’s first vertical launch capability.
Read more about our partnership.