Cornwall to be England's only spaceport

Move over America and Kazakhstan, England’s very own Cornwall could be the place to go to see spacecraft launch into orbit in the near future. Following an assessment from a cross-government team made up of the UK Space Agency, Aviation Authority and Department for Transport, among others, a report is expected to be released by the team that outlines possible sites for a spaceport, with Newquay Airport being one!

While eight sites are said to feature on the list of potential sites suitable for such a structure, Newquay Airport in Cornwall is said to be the only site in England that matches the criteria of the review, with others said to be in Wales and Scotland. Should the plans get the go ahead, families will be looking forward to catching a glimpse of the proposed new spaceport site on their way to annual holidays in St Ives cottages.

The Aerohub

While there may be a wait to see Newquay Airport turned into a fully working spaceport, the site is already home to a special Aerohub that draws many visitors to the Cornwall area. The aerospace-focused Enterprise Zone at the airport covers 325 hectares and is the largest planning-free development site in the whole of the UK.

It is said to be due to this unique Aerohub that Newquay is shortlisted in this exciting endeavour; it is home to one of the largest runways in the UK at 2,744 metres and its location on the beautiful Cornish coastline means that it boasts uncongested and unrestricted airspace.

Other sites said to feature in the list are located in Scotland and Wales, which could similarly see families venturing to Tenby holiday cottages in summer to catch a glimpse of a new UK spaceport. However, many Cornish residents and fans of the southern county will be keeping their fingers crossed that plans for Newquay get the go-ahead as a part of the Government’s four-fold expansion of the UK space industry, as reported in this article.

Many local businesses have already got behind the bid with the Cornwall Air Ambulance even creating this humorous Tweet.

Image Credit: Paul Hudson (flickr.com)

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google+ profile to read more stories.