Sutherland spaceport in the UK liquidated
Proposed or active spaceports in north Europe
After years of fighting bureaucratic red tape, environmental restrictions, and the unending opposition from a local billionaire, the assets of the proposed Sutherland spaceport on the north coast of Scotland are now being liquidated, as part of the liquidation of the bankrupt rocket company Orbex that had originally hoped to launch from this site.
The spokesperson also said: “One of the proposed transactions relates to assets associated with Sutherland Spaceport. As the proposed transaction is structured as an asset sale, a decision has been taken to place Sutherland Spaceport Limited, a Scottish subsidiary of Orbex, into liquidation. “A winding-up petition has therefore been lodged with the court and it is anticipated that the transaction will complete following the appointment of liquidators.”
The administrators “remain hopeful that the disposals will maximise returns for creditors”.
The spokesperson added that the administrators “continue to engage constructively with preferred bidders, secured creditors and other stakeholders, including the UK and Scottish Governments, as the process moves forward.”
Because almost £26 million was invested in this spaceport by the government of the United Kingdom, it is still possible the government itself will buy the assets and attempt to resuscitate the spaceport. If it does, do not count on much actually happening. There is practically no interest in the rocket industry to launch from the UK because of its odious red tape, that has already bankrupted two rocket startups.
Note that the spaceport shown on the map in North Uist is merely a proposal. Almost nothing real has happened so far to establish it. The SaxaVord spaceport hopes the German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg will do its first orbital launch this July, but there is no guarantee, as it appears the company is still awaiting launch approval from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, which in its slow-walking of license approvals was a main cause for the bankruptcy of those two rocket companies.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
It sounds a lot like Canada. This country’s rich in minerals and we have some of the largest oil reserves in the world. Yet, any mining project now requires years before construction can even begin. That includes jumping through bureaucratic hoops to check compliance (e. g., environmental regulations) and also “consultations” with all manner of special interest groups.
The result is that a number of proposals have either been shelved or outright cancelled because of that. The money that would have been invested in those projects moves someplace else.
But, each proposal gives politicians visibility when those are announced with the intention of scoring points with potential voters.
On the bright side, PM Starmer is reportedly very excited about the potential of Iran’s rocket program to lob ICBMs into Great Britain, much as in the days when German V-2s were raining down on London. Likewise, to paying the mullahs for the safe passage of British warships through the Straight of Hormuz. Perhaps the Iranians will also be willing to “insure” against future missile attacks if Mr. Starmer’s government will pony up the necessary funds.
Speaking of intersectionality… It would appear that Elon Musk is no fan of Comrade Starmer either. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx299wpp56o
As explained in comments to earlier posts, given the nature of the British government it is apparently very difficult to remove PM Starmer from his present position, but one wishes that the Brits would at least try.
Milt: It is my understanding that the king at any point can dissolve the government and call for new elections. It hasn’t been done for I think more than a century, but it is an option.
Of course, this would require a king with some brains and courage who also believes in western values. Sadly, Great Britain does not have that now.
Musk has stated publicly that he will not travel to the UK for fear of arrest under the Starmer regime’s social media censorship laws. So, no, he’s no fan of the current PM.
Milt:
Keep in mind that Labour has a majority in Parliament. A non-confidence vote would be ineffective if MPs vote along party lines.
He could step down if the party decided to force him out, which, as I recall, happened to Liz Truss a few years ago. However, a situation like that is rather rare and may cost the party in the next election.
In the parliamentary system, the governing party leader is the Prime Minister. When that person steps down, a new one is selected by the party and he or she becomes PM. However, it’s tradition for Parliament to be dissolved some time afterward and an election called, allowing the voters to decide.
In the U. K., and in Canada, the maximum time between elections is, legally, 5 years. Starmer was elected nearly 2 years ago, so, theoretically, he has just over 3 years left. However, he can advise the King to dissolve Parliament at any time, after which an election is called.
For Starmer it’s a bit of a balancing act. The MPs want to keep their seats through the next election. If they think they can do this via removing him then they will.
For the king, it’s “Can this person command a majority of votes in Parliament to actually pass anything?” If not, then it’s dissolve and there’s another election. Though the PM should come to the king in that case, since the party has already revolted at that point.
Which is why there’s votes that don’t count for this purpose and votes that do. The budget is one that does, since it’s the most important one.
Something to keep in mind when criticizing the British system from an American perspective. Parliament actually passes a budget every year or there’s no Parliament. There’s no “continuing resolutions” to kick the can down the road (the can gets kicked in other ways though).
Thank you to everyone for the insights into the British parliamentary system. Agreed, it will be difficult for Great Britain to rid itself of its current Labour government (we are watching something similar play out in California as this is written), but this doesn’t mean that ordinary English men and women ought to sit in silence and “put up” with a regime that has nothing but disdain for their country, their traditional culture, and their civilization. Indeed, if something like a “loathometer” existed, I am sure that the Starmer government would register far higher on its scale than even the Nazis in World War II. They are just far more subtle about wanting to destroy the country.
As an aside, I can’t help but be a little awed by the inclusion of Arthur C. Clarke in Mr. Musk’s Starlink commercials, and watching him reminds me of the pivotal role of the British Interplanetary Society in creating so much of the modern conceptual framework for going into space. Well done, Mr. Musk, for giving credit where it is due.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Interplanetary_Society
How sad it is that today’s Great Britain can’t even create a spaceport, let alone take its place among the vanguard of exploration in the burgeoning Commercial Space Age.
And from this update: https://www.aol.com/articles/british-pm-criticizes-vance-over-203235000.html
“In a statement issued in response to {Secretary] Vance’s comments, [PM] Starmer’s office criticized people ‘trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets.'”
“Our democracy.” Hummmm. Where have we heard that phrase before?
Here is an update on the ongoing troubles in Belfast —
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/united-kingdom/belfast-riots-elon-musk-anti-immigrant-violence-stabbing-rcna349384
Michelle O’Neill, the first minister of Northern Ireland and PM Starmer condemned people like Elon Musk who “encouraged it, online or elsewhere.” The latter also criticized people “trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets.” And Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn called the disturbances nothing short of “racist thuggery.”
Ah, well. The policies of the Labour government obviously had nothing to do with the unrest in Great Britain, and it’s all the fault of people like Elon Musk. And all would be well if only native / acculturated Brits would accept their fate and learn to love Big Brother.
Milt:
We’ve got a similar situation here in Canada. You may recall what happened in Ottawa a few years ago and how the federal government reacted to it. I’m sure that people in the U. K. are well aware of what took place back then.
You mentioned that the U. K. doesn’t have a spaceport. Neither does Canada (the concrete slab in Nova Scotia doesn’t count and I’m not sure about the facility on the island of Newfoundland). The irony is that Britain and Canada were, respectively, the third and fourth countries, respectively, to have satellites in orbit (Ariel 1 for the U. K. and Alouette 1 for Canada).
Some of you posting here about the UK would no doubt enjoy these great short videos: https://www.youtube.com/@jacob_rees_mogg/videos