Britain Approves Europe’s First Spaceport

The British government has approved plans to build Europe’s first spaceport within the United Kingdom by 2018. The port is set to offer commercial space travel and high-speed international flights. Westminster agreed to the proposal after a three-month consultation period, during which time a shortlist of potential locations was drawn up. The list includes Campbeltown, Glasgow Prestwick, Stornoway, Newquay, and Llanbedr.

The proposal was first submitted in July last year, after the British Civil Aviation Authority put forward eight prospective sites for construction. Robert Goodwill, the UK’s Aviation Minster, said, “I want Britain to lead the way in commercial spaceflight. Establishing a spaceport will ensure we are at the forefront of this exciting new technology.”

It is hoped that the port will also push innovation in super-speed flights, with the company behind construction suggesting that long-haul international flights like UK to Australia could be reduced from 12 hours to only 2. SpaceX and Virgin Galactic are the two most likely candidates to operate flights out of the new spaceport.

Source: The Verge