The name Skyrora for a British startup Rocket company might be unfamiliar to you - as it was to me - but a search of the blog's history, using that small search box in the upper left corner shows that company has shown up here before. November of 2023 to be specific, in an article on changes in the European launch industry.
The field of startup launch companies in Europe includes German firms like HyImpulse, Rocket Factory Augsburg, and Isar Aerospace; British companies such as Skyrora and Orbex; and Spain's PLD Space, [bold added this time - SiG]
That November '23 article features a large graphic of European launch vehicles, known and proposed as of those two years ago. It includes a Skyrora vehicle around the middle (left to right) of the poster
Space.com reports that the Scotland-based Skyrora has been awarded a license for up to 16 launches a year from SaxaVord Spaceport, located on the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland. Skyrora has a prototype of their Skylark L suborbital rocket that could be launched soon. They're also developing a larger version, called the Skylark XL. The large is size 36 and the XL is 42. No, wait... That's for pants - I'll look again. The Skylark L is listed as 36 feet tall, while the XL is shown in that graphic as closer to 75 feet tall.
Volodymyr Levykin, CEO of Skyrora, said, "Becoming the first homegrown company in the U.K. to receive a launch operator license is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Skyrora. It is essential that the U.K. 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."
He added that the company has options to launch from Australia, Oman and potentially Iceland, with Skyrora having made a failed launch attempt from Iceland with the Skylark L back in 2022.
Skylark L is Skyrora’s 36-foot (11m) suborbital rocket. (Image credit: Skyrora)
All that said, it's not likely they'll make their next attempt to reach space with their Skylark L in the remaining months of 2025, according to CEO Levykin.
Levykin told Reuters that, despite having acquired a launch license and having a rocket ready, "it is unlikely that Skyrora will be able to complete its launch from the U.K. this year."
Three years for the government to issue a launch license. And the company is still not ready. The country was once great Britain. Separately, ULA bets their company tomorrow Tuesday 12 Aug.
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