ROCKET company Skyrora has opened a new manufacturing and production facility in Cumbernauld.
The new facility allows the company to concentrate its launch development practices in custom-built domestic facilities.
The production of two vehicles has already commenced at the Skyrora Vehicle Assembly Building, which will increase up to 16 per year once mass production begins. The facility boasts unique capabilities for space infrastructure, as certain tests that would be outsourced internationally can now be conducted domestically.
The Cumbernauld site follows the recent opening of an engine test facility in Midlothian.
Skyrora’s head of engineering, Dr Jack James Marlow, said: “This purpose-built manufacturing and assembly site, combined with the Midlothian testing facility, allows Skyrora to take direct charge of the development cycle in-house.
“As a business, we now have a full set of domestic facilities to allow for close control of the quality and rapid development and testing of Skyrora XL ahead of its demo launch.
“The site will also allow us to further optimise manufacturing processes developed by our colleagues in Ukraine and scale-up launch vehicle production in the long term, enabling further expansion and growth in the future.”
The second stage of the Skyrora XL rocket can be performed in-country, having been fully manufactured and assembled in-house. This includes the assembly of the 70kN engine, the most powerful commercially produced liquid engine in the UK, which has been built using 3D-printed engine components.
The site in Cumberbauld consists of 55,000 sq ft of factory floor and office space, along with a 67,000 sq ft yard large enough to contain the launch complex and facilities.
Altogether, the facility roughly equates to the size of two standard football pitches and can accommodate up to 16 Skyrora XL vehicles for assembly, integration and launch per annum.
The new site will generate employment opportunities in the North Lanarkshire area and in the rest of Scotland. It will accommodate up to 100 high-skilled technical and business roles.
Development manager at North Lanarkshire Council, Pamela Humphries, said: “North Lanarkshire is an ideal location for businesses to set up and grow, with excellent transport links, support, and a skilled workforce, and we are very pleased to welcome Skyrora.
“The company operates in a very exciting and dynamic industry and is ambitious for its development, offering many opportunities for other local businesses to provide support services which can only be positive for our local economy.”
The manufacturing and production facility was made possible by support and collaboration with the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency.
