Orbex LP1 Launchpad Arrives at Test Site

The Orbex LP1 launchpad, the first rocket launchpad constructed in the UK for more than 50 years is now in place at the Orbex test site in Kinloss, Scotland.

The new launchpad recently completed an 80-mile road trip from Peterhead to Kinloss on two trucks, accompanied by a police escort. The three-hour journey through the dramatic Scottish countryside during sun, rain and snow was captured in a short film.

The film also shows the 40-metric ton structure being crane-lifted into place at the Orbex rocket launch test site at Kinloss.

Orbex LP1 was fabricated by Motive Offshore Group, a leading Scottish company specializing in the design and manufacture of marine and lifting equipment. It was constructed onsite at Motive’s headquarters in Banff, Scotland, and is built and tested to meet strict international standards.

Although actual launches of the Orbex Prime rocket will not take place from the test site, the Launch Platform is capable of launching an orbital rocket, allowing for full ‘dress rehearsals’ of launch procedures to take place in advance of the first launch from our home spaceport, Space Hub Sutherland in the North of Scotland.

The Launch Platform offers all the infrastructure and supporting services that will enable a wide variety of integration tests to take place during launch campaign preparation, including the testing of the main propellant tanks and multi-engine hot fire testing under vertical firing conditions. It will also enable the launch operations team to test launch procedures including rollout, strongback erection and fuelling procedures in advance of the first expected launch.

Orbex is a UK-based spaceflight company with headquarters, production and testing facilities in Scotland, and design and testing facilities in Denmark. Orbex staff members have professional backgrounds with NASA, ESA, Ariane and several commercial spaceflight organizations. The company is now funded by two of the UK’s largest and most active venture capital funds, BGF and Octopus Ventures, who join two of Europe's largest venture capital funds, Heartcore Capital and the High-Tech Gründerfonds, as well as strategic investor Elecnor, parent company of Deimos Space, the UK Space Agency (UKSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission Horizon 2020 program.

(Image provide with Orbex news release)