Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Space
  • /
  • Skyrora and Spirit to enhance future UK launch capability

Space Events

Skyrora and Spirit to enhance future UK launch capability

Skyrora and Spirit AeroSystems cemented a collaboration on orbital launch capability on the opening day of the UK Space Conference in Belfast, home to Spirit’s largest UK manufacturing facility.

Image courtesy Skyrora / Spirit AeroSystems

UK-based, launch-vehicle manufacturer, Skyrora is developing an agile, end-to-end, launch service to provide access to space for small satellites globally. Having conducted a test launch of the suborbital Skylark L vehicle in October 2022, as part of the company’s incremental learning approach to launch, Skyrora is well on track to become the first UK company to vertically launch satellites from the UK, expecting to conduct up to 16 launches per year once operating at scale.

Advertisement
ODU RT

Volodymyr Levykin, CEO and Founder, Skyrora, said: “This alliance is a real testament to the strides Skyrora has made, and continues to make, towards our mission of being the first British company to launch from UK soil. It will allow us to renew our focus on localising our supply chain as much as possible, which is a key part of our mission to create a responsible and sustainable approach to orbital launch.

“By collaborating with innovative partners like Spirit, Skyrora will be able to access manufacturing and testing capacity right here in the UK. Historically, space has not been an environmentally friendly industry, but we are committed to being a responsible player that continues to foster talent and skills nationally as the ambitious new space economy goes from strength to strength.”

Spirit’s presence in UK space is growing. Its broad offering of highly adaptive manufacturing and testing solutions in metallics and composites, at both its Scotland and Northern Ireland facilities, brings significant industrial capacity to Skyrora’s launch proposition. Leveraging Spirit’s aerostructures expertise, the companies will explore opportunities to transition Skyrora’s orbital launch vehicles fromdevelopment to full-scale production.

Sir Michael J Ryan CBE, Vice President, European Space and Defence, Spirit AeroSystems, said: “Through our support of innovative, sustainable, space technologies and clusters, we can add real value to building UK launch capability. Spirit’s role will be to fully industrialise Skyrora’s future production requirements, ensuring a smooth path from development to manufacture.

“The UK Space Conference provides a fantastic platform for companies like ours to cement relationships enabling commercial success within the sector including, importantly, UK launch activity.”

The UK Government has made orbital launch a key priority, with the National Space Strategy outlining plans to secure an increased portion of a global space economy expected to be worth £490 billion by 2030.

Matt Archer, Director of Launch, UK Space Agency, said: “This collaboration between Skyrora and Spirit clearly demonstrates the attractiveness of the UK’s thriving launch sector and the growing interest from both UK-based and international companies.

“Relationships such as this will not only build our domestic spaceflight capability but also help deliver Government’s ambition for the UK to be Europe’s leading provider of small satellite launch by 2030, creating highly skilled jobs and local opportunities across the UK.”

Collaborative goals also include the research of space technologies, particularly in additive manufacturing. Skyrora will provide Spirit with access to Skyprint 2, the largest in-house hybrid 3D printer of its kind in Europe. Located in Skyrora’s manufacturing facility just outside Glasgow, research enabled by Skyprint 2 has the potential to unlock a localised supply chain to reduce costs and lead times for Spirit, bolster industrial cooperation, and promote growth within the UK space sector.
 

Advertisement
Siemens rectangle

 

 

 

 

 

Advertisement
Nokia leaderboard
ADS reveals 2024 value of aerospace, defence, security and space to Scotland

Aerospace Defence Security Space

ADS reveals 2024 value of aerospace, defence, security and space to Scotland

11 September 2025

The aerospace, defence, security and space sectors added £3.7 billion to Scotland’s economy in 2024, according to new data from ADS, equating to a 55% increase between 2020 and 2024.

Andrew Stanniland appointed as Managing Director, MDA Space UK

Space

Andrew Stanniland appointed as Managing Director, MDA Space UK

10 September 2025

MDA Space Ltd. has appointed Andrew Stanniland as Managing Director, MDA Space UK, effective from today.

Filtronic secures record breaking SpaceX order

Space

Filtronic secures record breaking SpaceX order

9 September 2025

Sedgefield based designer and manufacturer of advanced RF and microwave solutions, Filtronic, has secured its largest ever contract - valued at £47.3 million ($62.5m) - with its long-standing customer, SpaceX, for the Starlink high-speed internet service.

Oxford Space Systems and Lacuna Space deploy two helical antennas

Space

Oxford Space Systems and Lacuna Space deploy two helical antennas

5 September 2025

Oxford Space Systems and Lacuna Space have successfully deployed an additional two Oxford Space Systems helical antennas to add to Lacuna Space’s growing satellite Internet of Things (IoT) constellation.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Boeing X-37B Spaceplane launches on eighth mission

Space

Boeing X-37B Spaceplane launches on eighth mission

27 August 2025

The Boeing built X 37B Orbital Test Vehicle has launched on its eighth mission, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida and the vehicle is healthy on orbit and standard checkout.

Bright Ascension expands into US

Space

Bright Ascension expands into US

27 August 2025

Bright Ascension has officially launched its new US entity, Bright Ascension Inc.

Advertisement
ODU RT