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A British rocket launch, which is supported by Labor, has pushed back the date of his first start and chases new funds when the United Kingdom continues to fall back in the space race.
Orbex, who received an investment of 20 million GBP from the taxpayer in January, confirmed that his first test start in the Shetland Islands in 2026, as hoped this year.
The start-up is building its 62-foot orbex-Prime rocket in a factory in Scotland to carry small satellites into space.
After securing the taxpayer maintenance, Orbex will be looking for a further 120 million GBP of private funds from private investors in the next four years in order to bring his ambitions into reality.
The company is also urging the government and demands support for its offer to build a new, larger rocket for the European Space Agency.
The space organization in which the UK is a member offers companies up to £ 144 million for its European launcher Challenge, since Europe is looking for alternatives to its current trust in Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Orbex has campaigned for Labor’s National Wealth Fund to support the space sector, which could “compensate for competitive conditions in a consultation and unlock the considerable value for the British economy”.
The Mission of Orbex is delayed according to a series of setbacks for the young starting industry in Great Britain. After a failed start of Cornwall in 2023, Virgin Orbit from Sir Richard Branson went bankrupt. Since then, no new attempts from an orbital mission have developed.
Now a number of small rocket companies try to start British soil from the British soil, mainly from Saxavord, a room camp on the Shetland Islands, although they were exposed to delays.
The German start-up, Rocket Factory Augsburg, is still aiming for a mission from Shetland this year, although his last test with his rocket on the Launtpad exploded. Skyrora, a Scottish start-up, hopes to start from Shetland next year.
An Orbex spokesman said: “There are many factors to determine our starting plan, including licensing and start logistics. This is not unusual.”
The spokesman added that the support of the government is necessary for the establishment of a European rocket: “National financing obligations and private investments are both needed to win bidders.
“The support of the British government for our sector will send ESA a clear signal that British orbital launch companies such as Orbex are an intelligent choice and long-term partners.”
