A rendering of an Orbex Prime launch from Sutherland Spaceport. Photo: Orbex

Orbex is ramping up its preparations for the launch of its Prime Rocket, by adding significantly to its overall footprint. The company announced July 10 that it is extending its footprint by more than 30% across its Scottish and Danish design and production facilities. Prime is a 19-meter long rocket designed to launch small satellites into polar and sun-synchronous orbits. Orbex has already announced several commercial launch contracts with satellite manufacturers.

The company is adding an extra 1,500 square meters of factory and office space to its existing 4,750 square meter estate in Forres, Scotland and Copenhagen, Denmark. The additional space will increase the company’s launch vehicle production and propulsion system manufacturing capacity and add an extra software laboratory and an avionics clean room space with ISO 8 and ISO 9 sections. The additional capacity in Forres is just 3 kilometers from its test site at Kinloss, allowing for quick turnaround between the two sites, as Orbex ramps up its testing in the countdown to launch.

Prime will launch from Orbex’s home spaceport, Sutherland Spaceport (formerly Space Hub Sutherland) on the north coast of Scotland. The facility is being built and operated by Orbex, under a 50-year lease.

“Many people are eager to see the first successful launch of a satellite from British soil, as are we. But our focus has to be bigger than that, as we aim to build a robust and sustainable launch capability in the U.K. Expanding our footprint is just one more step forward in that process. We are able to press ahead with our expansion, thanks to the incredible team we have in place and the confidence placed in us by our investors and customers,” Martin Coates, CEO, Orbex said in a statement.