Richard Branson has been given the go-ahead to operate the UK’s first space launch.
The tycoon’s firm Virgin Orbit was awarded licences to operate the project from Cornwall Airport Newquay by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Called Start Me Up in tribute to The Rolling Stones, the mission involves a repurposed Virgin Boeing 747 aircraft and Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket.
The firm plans to launch from Spaceport Cornwall in the coming weeks. The jet will take off with the rocket attached, before releasing it at 35,000ft over the Atlantic.
It will then return to the spaceport, while the rocket takes multiple small satellites into orbit with a variety of civil and defence applications.
They will be the first launched into space from Europe. Virgin Orbit chief executive Dan Hart said: “This takes us one step closer to the first satellite launch take-off from UK soil.”
CAA director for space regulation Tim Johnson added: “This is another major milestone in enabling the very first orbital space launch from UK shores.”
The authority said Branson’s company demonstrated it had “taken all reasonable steps to ensure safety risks arising from launch activities are as low as reasonably practicable”.
It also revealed it awarded the licences within 15 months of receiving evidence from Virgin Orbit about its plans.
Spaceport Cornwall is one of seven being developed across Britain.
The first vertical launch is due to take place next year from Shetland’s planned SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst.
No10 hopes commercial space launches will be worth £3.8billion to the economy over the next decade.