UK takes a step closer to domestic launches as Skyrora fires up Skylark-L

Blighty is preparing for take-off as Edinburgh-based rocket-botherer Skyrora test-fired its Skylark-L rocket from a location in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Those hoping to send a satellite to orbit from UK soil might have a while to wait, however. The Skylark-L is only capable of flinging a 60kg payload 100km up. The …

[Paul Herber]

Skylark

Skylark of Space

[Phil O'Sophical]

Re: Skylark

If only "Ecosene" was the "unknown metal 'X'"

[Anonymous Coward]

"look basic compared to the NASA facilities"

Well, if you don't need to spend money on making it look nice...

[Headley_Grange]

All aboard.....

......the Skylark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXeDScsK2HI&list=PLBZ7QWSjWl7I1oPqUGHrx5JIMaBQQ0M5H&index=6

[M7S]

Re: All aboard.....

That was my first thought, howevew when putting that into the "tube of you" the first listing is very different

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHJ7T3OORTQ

Perhaps the cover shows the boffins have more ambition than we may have credited them with

[The Pi Man]

Top Gear?

I’m sure Top Gear did this more recently then 50 years ago? 2008ish? Admittedly it was a failure. A momentous, spectacular failure...

[Spherical Cow]

Re: Top Gear?

Am I the only person to suspect that everything went exactly to plan? The "failure" was deliberate and the spectacular and amusing RUD was intended (so I'd better call it a RSD instead).

[The Pi Man]

Re: Top Gear?

They definitely knew that the final separation wasn’t going to work before launch. Not sure whether it was by design or because they ran out of time / money.

[steamnut]

Good old British ingenuity...

Looking at the "rig" it is good to see the collection of orange ratchet straps in use. I'm wondering if space qualified versions are available and at what cost?

[Paul Crawford]

To be fair, I'm sure high-test peroxide is quite a good anti-viral agent

[Anonymous Coward]

Shh, the orange one will start promoting it for use against Covefe Covid-19

[PerlyKing]

Rocket names

Is it these Union Jack shades I'm wearing, or are British rocket names so much better than the rest? ;-)

[JCitizen]

Good to see..

I'm surprised to see this launch test story so soon after the article about the abandoned Blue Streak (or was it Black Arrow?)UK launch test center! I wonder why they couldn't just us that old facility. It already had the proper flame containment and everything. Or is this a strictly nationalistic move? I don't know that much about UK rivalries, so forgive me for my ignorance.