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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Rob Edwards

Spaceport’s plan to dump rocket launch debris into Scottish seas

Ferret Shetland John Swinney Rocket Factory Augsburg Richard Lochhead Scotland SaxaVord Spaceport Scottish Government
General view of SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst on the Shetland Islands (Image: PA)

SCOTLAND’S first spaceport on Shetland plans to use the sea as a “dustbin” to dump tonnes of debris from rockets, The Ferret can reveal, prompting claims it could endanger tourism and fishing.

SaxaVord Spaceport in the island of Unst is applying for a licence to start dropping large, disused rocket components into the sea north of Shetland over the next 12 months. The application reveals that there is a “significant risk” that the debris could hit tourist and fishing boats, posing a threat to life.

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