Above: Frank Strang MBE.
Courtesy SaxaVord Spaceport 

It is with great sadness that SaxaVord Spaceport today announced the death of its pioneering CEO and founder Frank Strang MBE at the age of 67 after a short battle with cancer. 
 
Frank recognised the potential for a commercial spaceport in Unst, Shetland, back in 2017 and together with his co-founders Scott Hammond and Debbie Strang assembled a small team of highly skilled people to turn it from a paper concept into reality, winning considerable private financial backing in the process.

 
His unorthodox style, with long hair and cowboy boots, was coupled with a legendary drive and determination that helped SaxaVord overcome seemingly impossible odds to become the UK’s first fully licensed vertical launch spaceport, complete with launch stool, integration hangar and tracking and telemetry system.
 
His death is devastating for the now much larger team of people he and Scott have built to be ready for a first launch later this year or early next, but will make them determined to deliver long-term success. 
 
Scott, who is expected to take over as CEO, said: “I have been a friend and colleague of Frank since our days together in the RAF, so his death so young is an enormous blow both personally and professionally.
 
“When we first identified the prospects for a spaceport at Lamba Ness in Unst, Frank would not take no for an answer and broke through barriers that would have deterred lesser people.
 
“He was a real force of nature, and his vision and his grit got us to where we are today, bringing the Unst and Shetland communities, investors and government with us.
 
“But our mission is not complete – my job now is to deliver not only the first launch but successive launches that establish the UK as Europe’s leader in access to space. 
 
“Both myself and the SaxaVord team feel a strong sense of responsibility to deliver that goal for Frank, and we will, I am in no doubt.
 
“We are determined to make the UK Europe’s leader in vertical launch spaceflight. That will be Frank’s legacy, for Shetland, for Scotland and the UK.”