Shetland can be ‘at the heart’ of UK space industry, says minister
John Lamont visited SaxaVord space port on Unst in his first engagement since his appointment in the Scotland Office.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Shetland can be “at the heart” of the space industry in the UK, a new Scotland Office minister has said.
In his first engagements since being appointed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, John Lamont visited the SaxaVord space port on Unst.
He said: “The port is on track to launch satellites next year from one of its three orbital launch pads.
“There is a huge opportunity for Shetland to be a world leader in terms of space technology deployment – the spaceport at SaxaVord has unique geographical advantages that we are keen to help them exploit.
“We’re working hard to become the first in Europe to provide end-to-end solutions – from design and build to lift-off – for small satellites, and the development of different launch sites is a crucial part of that.”
“This is a very exciting project, and the wider space industry has huge potential to create rewarding and skilled careers, not just throughout Scotland but across the UK as a whole – Shetland can be at the heart of that.”
Mr Lamont also visited the Scottish Sea Farms salmon fishery in Burra, and met representatives of the Scottish Shellfish Co-operative.
Shetland Islands Council convener Andrea Manson said she was “delighted” to host Mr Lamont on his first ministerial visit, adding they had discussed “fixed links and levelling up”.
Mr Lamont said a repeated theme was that of connectivity during his visit.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.