Scotland’s first commercial rocket test flight
Capitalism in space: A private smallsat rocket company, Skyrora, has successfully completed a suborbital test flight, the first commercial rocket test flight in Scotland.
Skyrora saw its 2.5 metre (9ft) projectile reach altitudes of almost four miles after taking off at the Kildermorie Estate in Ross-shire. Known as Skylark Nano, it accelerated to Mach 1.45 – more than 110mph.
One could also describe Skylark Nano as nothing more than a big model rocket. Nonetheless, the company is using this test flight to improve its chances to win the competition for some of the money the UK government will award to private companies in connection with the establishment of its new spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland.
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Capitalism in space: A private smallsat rocket company, Skyrora, has successfully completed a suborbital test flight, the first commercial rocket test flight in Scotland.
Skyrora saw its 2.5 metre (9ft) projectile reach altitudes of almost four miles after taking off at the Kildermorie Estate in Ross-shire. Known as Skylark Nano, it accelerated to Mach 1.45 – more than 110mph.
One could also describe Skylark Nano as nothing more than a big model rocket. Nonetheless, the company is using this test flight to improve its chances to win the competition for some of the money the UK government will award to private companies in connection with the establishment of its new spaceport in Sutherland, Scotland.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Four miles = about 21,000 feet.
“it accelerated to Mach 1.45 – more than 110mph”. One of the two values is wrong. Must be 1100 mph.
Speaking of model rockets, these people are seriously insane – 73.1 miles 3,780 mph
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=MODEL+ROCKET+NATIONALS&&view=detail&mid=37273B9348D18F7BFC1937273B9348D18F7BFC19&&FORM=VDRVRV
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=MODEL+ROCKET+NATIONALS&&view=detail&mid=B22E9FFBB815C31AB32FB22E9FFBB815C31AB32F&&FORM=VDRVRV
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=MODEL+ROCKET+NATIONALS&&view=detail&mid=6C73ACABF8DCFACB80A66C73ACABF8DCFACB80A6&&FORM=VDRVRV
“Sub-orbital” can still mean a huge altitude. Just up and down without having to achieve the 8 km/s or so orbital speed. Could reach GEO-synchronous satellites, although they would swish by at orbital speed, 450 meter per second. I would even think a suborbital rocket could reach the Moon, again only at a very wrong speed in order to enter her orbit. But a flyby and being reusable could be a pretty good competitor to multi-hundred million dollar NASA missions. And for making dedicated cosmological observations. Could spend hours in microgravity and perfect vacuum for whatever that is good for. I think there’s a potential scientific/industrial use for cheap sub-orbital small rocket flights well beyond tourists in microgravity.