40-tonne rocket launch platform arrives in Kinloss, Moray
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A huge 40-tonne platform that will be used to fire rockets into space made its way along the roads to Kinloss at the weekend.
Two wide-load trucks, alongside a police escort, completed the 80-mile journey from Peterhead during the course of Saturday.
The launch platform will the first to be built within the UK for over 50 years.
Its role is to fire rockets which will carry small satellites, weighing about 24 stones, up into the Earth's orbit.
Although the actual launches will take place elsewhere, the test site is at Kinloss, near the headquarters of Orbex, the Forres-based company behind it all.
An Orbex spokesperson said: "The new launch platform will support the testing of our Prime rocket, a microlauncher that we have designed.
"It will allow full ‘dress rehearsals’ of launch procedures in advance of the first launch from our home spaceport, Space Hub Sutherland.
The spokesperson added: "The platform will enable a wide variety of 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 operations team to test launch procedures including rollout, strongback erection and fuelling procedures."
The 40-tonne platform was fabricated by Motive Offshore Group, which has offices in Banff and Kintore as well as abroad.
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