A Belfast engineering company is to manufacture parts to help launch satellites into space after signing a deal with a Scottish firm.
Spirit AeroSystems, the former Shorts Brothers business which manufactures wings and other airplane parts, will work with Edinburgh-based Skyrora which specialises in launch vehicles to send satellites into space.
The Edinburgh company will facilitate the vertical launch of satellites from the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ and expects to conduct around 16 launches a year once up and running.
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“Through our support of innovative, sustainable, space technologies and clusters, we can add real value to building º£½ÇÊÓÆµ launch capability.” said Sir Michael J Ryan CBE, Vice President, European Space and Defence, Spirit AeroSystems. “Spirit’s role will be to fully industrialise Skyrora’s future production requirements, ensuring a smooth path from development to manufacture,”
The announcement was made at the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Space Conference held in Belfast this week.
“The º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Space Conference provides a fantastic platform for companies like ours to cement relationships enabling commercial success within the sector including, importantly, º£½ÇÊÓÆµ launch activity.”
Volodymyr Levykin, CEO and Founder at Skyrora welcomed the partnership.
“This alliance is a real testament to the strides Skyrora has made, and continues to make, towards our mission of being the first British company to launch from º£½ÇÊÓÆµ soil,” he said. “It will allow us to renew our focus on localising our supply chain as much as possible, which is a key part of our mission to create a responsible and sustainable approach to orbital launch,” said Volodymyr Levykin, CEO and Founder, Skyrora.
“By collaborating with innovative partners like Spirit, Skyrora will be able to access manufacturing and testing capacity right here in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ. Historically, space has not been an environmentally friendly industry, but we are committed to being a responsible player that continues to foster talent and skills nationally as the ambitious new space economy goes from strength to strength,” Mr Levykin added.