Shetland Spaceport to Launch Second Rocket This Summer

Scotland's remote Shetland Islands are becoming a hotspot for rocket launches, and the latest company to join the queue is bringing something special: a rocket powered by paraffin wax.

HyImpulse Technologies has signed an agreement to launch its SR75 rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst this late summer. The German company will be the second firm to use the UK's northernmost launch site, following Rocket Factory Augsburg's planned summer tests.

What makes this launch particularly exciting is the fuel. The SR75 uses a hybrid engine combining paraffin-based solid fuel with liquid oxygen, creating a propulsion system that cannot explode.

"We're developing a completely new propulsion system, based on paraffin wax as the fuel," said co-founder Dr. Christian Schmierer. The innovative safety feature could make space launches more accessible and less risky.

The SR75 is a suborbital rocket, meaning it crosses the boundary of space without entering orbit. It carries payloads up to 250 kilograms for microgravity experiments and atmospheric research, then uses a parachute to safely return everything back to Earth.

Scientists and researchers can send their experiments to space and get them back intact. This opens opportunities for testing materials, studying atmospheric conditions, and conducting experiments that need brief periods of weightlessness.

HyImpulse already achieved success with a smaller version of the rocket launched from Koonibba, Australia in 2024. The Shetland launch will be the company's first from European territory and demonstrates the technology works at scale.

The company isn't stopping with suborbital flights. HyImpulse has set its sights on orbital launches by 2027, which would enable satellite deployment and broader commercial applications.

The Ripple Effect

SaxaVord Spaceport is quickly establishing itself as a major player in Europe's growing space industry. The spaceport provides crucial infrastructure and operational support, creating jobs in one of Scotland's most remote communities.

Scott Hammond, the spaceport's chief executive, said the contract strengthens the site's position "at the vanguard of UK vertical space launch." Each new company choosing Shetland validates the region's strategic location and capabilities.

The launches also put the UK on the map for commercial space activities. As more companies test their technologies from British soil, the nation builds expertise, attracts investment, and creates opportunities in the emerging space economy.

Beyond economics, these launches represent progress in making space more accessible. Safer fuels, reusable systems, and suborbital platforms lower barriers for researchers worldwide.

Europe is launching its way into the new space age, one paraffin-powered rocket at a time.