In engineering there really are no boundaries. Show me a challenge
and I’ll show you a Scot who has risen to it: from James Watt and his steam engine to Alexander Graham Bell and his speaking machine.
But are the stars one step too far? Not so, it would seem, as the race hots up to host the UK’s first ever spaceport.
The government predicts the space industry could be worth £40 billion a year to the UK economy by 2030 and an operational spaceport is an essential element to securing this opportunity. In July last year, eight locations were shortlisted; this has now dropped to six sites.
Machrihanish Airbase, a former RAF base now owned by the local community and home to Campbeltown Airport, is tipped as favourite.
So, as Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) gets set to rocket boost its bid, we headed out west to meet Chairman Tom Millar and discover what success might mean for the engineering jobs sector in Scotland, specifically in areas such as aerospace.
Tom sees the project as offering opportunities in both the “hard” aerospace side and the “soft” space tourism business, with Machrihanish the obvious candidate.
“We believe we are the clear choice with the longest runway in Scotland and the only one to exceed the government’s 3000m criteria for runway length,” he says.
“Our 3049m strip is the only site in the running to previously be cleared as an emergency landing site for the NASA Space Shuttle. There is also low population density and the ability to launch over the ocean.
“Just a 30-minute flight from Glasgow and links to international flights, the site covers more than 1000 acres so there is ample room for expansion for all the necessary ground services.”
And a spaceport could bring more jobs to Scotland?
“Without a doubt,” says Tom. “Studies on spaceports in America show the supply chain associated with a spaceport could bring thousands of jobs to Scotland and the UK.
“There will be jobs at all levels as it will take a number of years for the spaceport to be fully developed. Local, national and international companies will all have a part to play. Think of it as a generational project.”
He continues:
“This is a sector in its infancy with significant technical challenges to overcome – engineers will be the people to tackle these problems and ensure the successful future of the industry.
“There will be engineering jobs of many kinds not just aerospace jobs. We believe there will be jobs for engineers of all disciplines during the development phases.”
Tom points out Scots are pragmatic and have a “can do” attitude, adding:
“Engineering encapsulates these two characteristics, so it’s no wonder Scots have achieved so much for such a small nation.
“After all, the engineer in the original Star Trek series was a Scot and if there was a disastrous fault with the Enterprise he always saved the day!”
While it may not yet have the dilithium crystals ready for warp drive, Tom believes a MACC spaceport could represent the next major landmark in engineering and innovation for Scotland.
“It could become as iconic as the Forth Road Bridge in decades to come,” he says.
“Without a doubt it will be a landmark project for MACC, Scotland and the UK.
The UK has a significant part to play in space but it should not be confused with interplanetary projects. Much of what we take for granted today comes from space, such as GPS and television and a UK spaceport will help consolidate the country’s position.”
So today’s engineers may well have the chance to be tomorrow’s new Scotty in space?
“With the next stage in the bids to be announced later this year and a decision made in 2016, we will have to watch this space – if you pardon the pun!” says Tom.
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