Home   News   Article

Spaceport Sutherland developer Orbex to open office in London and expand its Forres base





The company behind the development and operation of Sutherland Spaceport is setting up a base in London as it expands its headquarters in Scotland.

Orbex, which will be the first UK rocket manufacturer to establish a base in London, says the new office will allow it to engage with the financial community “with greater ease”.

Orbex is to expand its Forres headquarters.
Orbex is to expand its Forres headquarters.

The company also plans to expand its Forres headquarters by 400 square metres to provide more space for the development of its 19-metre long Prime rocket, a full-scale prototype of which was unveiled in May 2022.

Anders Holch Povlsen opposes plan to install Sutherland spaceport antenna park on top of Ben Tongue

The new-generation model is claimed to be the world’s greenest rocket, designed to put very small satellites into orbit without leaving any debris in space.

Orbex chief executive Phil Chambers said: “Orbex is one of only two space rocket manufacturers in the UK, and the only one to also operate its own spaceport.

“We are entering a critical phase of development and require greater facilities to develop the crucial technology required to make the UK a hub for European orbital launch.

“Establishing a base in London and growing our facilities in Forres is another huge milestone for us. We need the right capabilities to develop Orbex Prime, and the right boots on the ground in London to engage with current and new stakeholders and investors.”

Matt Archer, Director of Launch at the UK Space Agency, said: "This is a significant expansion for Orbex, which demonstrates how the growing launch sector is creating high-quality jobs across the UK.

These strategic moves will help accelerate innovation, increase investment opportunities, and ultimately support the company in its mission to become a leading provider of launch services.

“We continue to work closely with the team at Orbex as it ramps up development of its Prime rocket and the Sutherland Spaceport.”

Orbex recently announced that it has received £16.7m from six backers as it begins its Series D funding round. With pre-launch testing underway, the funding will help Orbex accelerate the development of Prime, with the aim of ensuring full readiness and scalability for its launch phase.

Orbex is expected to move into its new facilities in June. The London office will be located on Theobalds Road, London .

Orbex signed a lease with development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise in 2022 to take over the development of Spaceport Sutherland on land owned by Melness Crofters’ Estate on the A’Mhoine peninsula, west of Tongue.

The 10-acre launch site will become Orbex’s ‘home’ spaceport and will see the launch of up to 12 orbital rockets a year.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More