SaxaVord Spaceport says it has finalized a £60 million public-private funding package to complete infrastructure at its launch site on Unst in Scotland’s Shetland Islands. The arrangement combines £30 million from the UK government with a matching commitment from existing investor Wild Ventures.
The October 29, 2026, confirmation, reported by Shetland News, follows the investment plan announced in September. Wild Ventures is the investment arm of Heartland and has supported the spaceport over several years. SaxaVord says its commitment is structured to allow other investors to take up part of the investment alongside the government and Wild Ventures.
The funding program covers completion of three launch pads, mission-management infrastructure, and a second integration hangar. These facilities support different stages of a launch campaign, from preparing equipment under cover to managing activities at the launch site.
SaxaVord’s original investment announcement described the same £60 million program on September 8. At that stage, the proposed government investment was subject to due diligence and final approval. The October announcement reports finalization of that package.
Infrastructure for Multiple Launch Operators
SaxaVord is being developed to accommodate multiple launch providers and holds regulatory approval for up to 30 launches annually. The site occupies a former Royal Air Force radar station on Unst.
Its customer activities include Rocket Factory Augsburg’s preparations for an orbital test flight and HyImpulse’s suborbital launch program. Orbital flights place payloads on trajectories around Earth; suborbital flights return without completing an orbit.
The investment also connects with UK and German space cooperation. The countries identified SaxaVord in their October 8 joint statement as a potential location supporting European access to space.
The UK Space Strategy places SaxaVord within plans for domestic access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits. It combines UK launch infrastructure with international partnerships serving other orbits and payload classes. The finalized funding package supports construction of the facilities intended to host those launch activities.
