Prestwick's proposed spaceport has moved one step closer to launch this week.
Council chiefs have filed a formal planning application notice for the development – the first key step that signals the intent to apply for full planning permission early this year.
It follows an environmental impact study which gave the green light to Prestwick's space ambitions on the surrounding area.
Horizontal launches – also known as air launches – will see aircraft take off from Prestwick carrying a rocket containing small satellites a long distance to high altitude above the ocean.
Once safely beyond inhabited areas and above the densest layer of the atmosphere, the rocket leaves the aircraft, ignites its engines and carries its payload to orbit.
Launch operations at Prestwick will therefore consist mainly of processing rockets and their payloads, loading them on to a launch aircraft, and then conventional aircraft take-offs from the existing airport runways.
South Ayrshire Council leader Peter Henderson described the proposal of application notice as "another milestone" for the project following Prestwick securing Astraius as a launch partner.
He added: “By securing a launch partner and beginning the planning process, South Ayrshire is on its way to establishing Prestwick Spaceport and ensuring an exciting future for our local communities and making South Ayrshire part of the global space economy.”
Astraius, the leading UK-based commercial horizontal launch company, will launch rockets from standard transport aircraft that require no modification and will be able to place small satellites, such as shoebox sized CubeSats, into a variety of orbits.
Prestwick aims to launch its first rocket by the end of 2023 with £80 million of support coming from the Ayrshire Growth Deal to help make it happen.
Zoe Kilpatrick, commercial director at Prestwick Airport, said: “We are delighted to see the next stage of the Prestwick Spaceport being developed.
"We are building an industry in Ayrshire which will create jobs and investment for years to come.
“2022 will see further developments as we partner with more organisations to grow and expand our space capabilities here at Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
“It is a very exciting time to be involved with the project and I look forward to seeing progress made over the coming months as we approach our first launch in 2023.”
It's hoped the spaceport and associated Growth Deal benefits will establish a high-tech space supply chain in the region to complement the existing aerospace cluster, creating as many as 4,000 jobs for the local economy.
The public will be invited to find out more about the spaceport planning application, ask any questions about the proposed development and give their views at public consultation events to be held in February and March.
The aerospace and space project is being funded with £32m from the UK Government, £30m from the Scottish Government and £18m from South Ayrshire Council as part of the £251m Ayrshire Growth Deal – a 10-year investment programme jointly funded by the UK and Scottish governments and local authorities.
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