Testing on a 3D-printed rocket engine that might power UK space launches has begun.

Skyrora plans to launch satellites into orbit from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands.

Skyrora plans to launch satellites into orbit from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands after it receives a license from the Civil Aviation Authority. Its application for a license was submitted in 2022. Skyrora, based in Edinburgh, created them for the first time with its own Skyprint 2 machine, which the business claims cut production time and costs in half compared to earlier designs.

The new model will be tested at a test hub in Midlothian, on the site of a decommissioned quarry. It is the largest rocket testing facility in the United Kingdom. Every week throughout the summer, the engine will be tested for 250 seconds—the exact length of time it would need to run on a real flight to reach orbit.

The second and third stages have previously been successfully tested, but the first stage, which provides the initial thrust to launch the vehicle off the ground, will need to be tested with the new engines. After receiving its Civil Aviation Authority license, the business intends to conduct orbital launches from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Isles.