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Large new spaceport near Hermaness Nature Reserve draws strong RSPB objections (1 Viewer)

U

UnstTourist

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United Kingdom
I was in the past a visitor to the NNR at Hermaness and noticed a while ago they are planning a massive spaceport nearby that intends to launch 30 large American rockets from Lockheed Martin annually, which is more launches per year than Cape Canaveral. Here is a news item:

Lockheed: Shetland Spaceport to Launch 30 Rockets Annually

The problem is that this rocket site is about 1.5-2 miles from Hermaness, and the RSPB has objected the development based on the panic caused to cliff-nesting birds and the brooding rare species nearby. Here is the page at RSPB:

RSPB Objects to Rocket Site Due to Abandoned Nests and Rare Species

We are worried that the noise from the launches could cause birds nesting on the cliffs to fly up in large numbers, which could leave chicks or eggs exposed, knock chicks or eggs from the cliffs or even cause some birds to abandon their nests

We have also objected due to the potential impacts on two rare bird species which breed on Unst. We are concerned that breeding pairs in the area would be disturbed by the rocket launches.

I think this is worthy of some raised awareness from birders across the world.
 
Presumably they'll need to do an environmental impact assessment before awarding permission for this? Is this separate from the spaceport planned for Sutherland?

When I watch launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida, it looks like it's set in wetlands. Do we know if there are impacts on birds there?
 
I wonder if anyone in the space business has looked at the number of days a year North Shetland is suitable for space vehicle launches?

I'd have thought it almost certain that the only likely launch window days will be smack in the middle of the bird breeding season.

John
 
They are not launching "large rockets". It is part of the current grab of the smallsat market. Technology has reached a point where useful things can be done with satellites the size of shoeboxes. The traditional launch systems are not cost effective for such small payloads and this had led to a plethora of private companies seeking to develop small, cheap launchers specifically for smallsats. There are upwards of 20 companies in various states of development. They also need somewhere to launch from. A lot of smallsats are Earth observation satellites and northern Scotland is good place to access the required orbits, but so are lots of other places on Earth. Various Scottish councils and development bodies have been trying to get their finger in the pie, there are a least 3 "spaceports" in development in northern Scotland. Plus New Zealand, Japan, Alaska, 3 in the lower 48 plus a couple of airborne launch platforms.

Most of this development is going nowhere, the chances of any of the Scottish projects actually coming to fruition is slim.
 
There's a burgeoning space industry developing in and around Glasgow, focused like you say on small or "cube" satellites.
 
Mono said:
They are not launching "large rockets". It is part of the current grab of the smallsat market. Technology has reached a point where useful things can be done with satellites the size of shoeboxes. The traditional launch systems are not cost effective for such small payloads and this had led to a plethora of private companies seeking to develop small, cheap launchers specifically for smallsats.
Click to expand...

The rockets being launched in Shetland belong to ABL Space and carry payload of around 1,350kg, and weigh about 90-100 tonnes at lift-off:

Rocket - ABL Space Systems

I was following this recently and noticed that the flight path flies directly over Hermaness Nature Reserve.
https://i.imgur.com/0sIdhCi.png
https://imgur.com/0sIdhCi

Amazed nobody thinks this is an issue.
 
SpaceX Falcon9 the most used current launch vehicle weighs 550t at launch and can put over 20,000kg into LEO. The rockets proposed for Unst are very much at the small end of the market.

Whilst ABL have done static fires of their engines they have yet to get anything off the ground.

Not really sure what the image you have posted is actually showing, do you have a link to the page it was showing rather than a screenshot. It looks like a proposed NOTAM.

I think it is a frankly stupid to build a rocket in California and ship it halfway round the world to launch it from Shetland. The accessible orbits from Unst are easily achievable from the US. It is only funding from the UK and Scottish Governments that is making this possible as some sort of hi-tech glory project.

But ABL have yet to get anything off the launch pad let alone put a paying customers payload into the correct orbits.
 
It's a diagram from Historic Environment Scotland's Scheduled Monument Consent process (a new process - the first one was rejected):

Skaw, radar station - Construction of launch site at Lamba Ness (Shetland Space Centre) (300051951)

Specifically that diagram above is from this document, which shows the "flight safety corridor", in which people (and birds) might be injured if the rocket fails shortly after lift-off

Home

I appreciate it is slightly smaller than SpaceX, but it is still 100 tons of fuel and oxygen potentially exploding over Hermaness NNR. Lockheed Martin is involved.

I'm not really sure why this is not of interest - Hermaness crags are a massive breeding site for all kinds of interesting and rare seabird species. One accident could have a huge impact on those colonies, as this study makes clear:

Home
 
The planning documents are a mixed bunch, some concern the operation of the facility but others concern only the construction of the facility. The NatureScot response raises no objections to the building of the facility but then throws in "Operation of the site is likely to have a significant effect on the SPA but will be regulated by other authorities."

The odds on this project actually happening are tiny. The smallsat launch market is very crowded there are over a dozen operators that have achieved at least one successful launch and at least two dozen more in development with 'proposed' first flights in the next couple of years.
 
The SpaceX Starlink network is projected to have at least 12000 satellites, possibly up to 30000. Falcon 9 launches 60 at a time, the under development SpaceX Starship will launch 300 at a time. The Skyrora launch vehicle from Shetland can launch Starlink satellites one at a time. I can't see SpaceX knocking at their door anytime soon.
 
ABL one of the launch providers slated to use the Unst facility has recently had a set back in their rocket development. They were already two years behind schedule.

 
Mono said:
ABL one of the launch providers slated to use the Unst facility has recently had a set back in their rocket development. They were already two years behind schedule.

Click to expand...
At least they've got Starlings in New Mexico...!;)
MJB
 
One more hurdle passed, put several more to go including ABL actually having a rocket.

www.bbc.co.uk

Shetland spaceport gains planning approval

Rocket launches in the far north of the UK come a step nearer after planning permission is granted.
www.bbc.co.uk

Plus one of the other potential users, Skyrora, does a lot of its development work in... Ukraine.
 

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