Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 28 July 2021 (HL2257), what is the investment to date in (1) Spaceport Cornwall, and (2) Saxa Vord in Shetland; what is the state of launch operations at both sites funded by grants to (a) Virgin Orbit, and (b) Lockheed Martin respectively; and when they anticipate that there will be any launches from sites in the UK.

Spaceport Cornwall:

• The UK Space Agency (UKSA) awarded £7.35m to Virgin Orbit to support horizontal launch from Spaceport Cornwall. £4.2m of the UKSA grant has already been disbursed to the grantee for completed milestones. Virgin Orbit’s plans currently anticipate launching from Cornwall Spaceport in the Summer of 2022.

Saxa Vord Spaceport:

• The UK Space Agency awarded £23.5 million, in two separate grants, to Lockheed Martin. This includes £13.5m to establish launch operations at Saxa Vord Spaceport in Shetland and £10m for the research and development, build and flight demonstration of an Orbital Manoeuvring Vehicle (OMV). £5.3m and £8.5 respectively have been disbursed for completed work. Lockheed Martin are currently aiming to launch from Saxa Vord Spaceport in Autumn 2022.