The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted British rocketeer Skyrora a launch operator license.

The license enables the company, based in Scotland, to launch from SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst, Shetland, although right now it will only be the Skylark L suborbital vehicle that'll be blasting off. The beefier Skyrora XL, which will be able to deploy up to 315 kg into orbit, is still at least two years away.

The Skylark L is capable of lifting a payload of up to 50 kg to a maximum altitude of 125 km. "Critically, this vehicle has all the relevant subsystems, including the flight control computer, which are being 'de-risked' prior to utilizing them on the main orbital launch vehicle XL," a spokesperson told The Register .

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And how is the XL going? Skyrora said: "Two of the three stages of the XL vehicle are complete, and we expect to deliver the first stage soon.

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"We plan to complete integration tests of the XL vehicle next year, dependent on manufacturing timelines, and target a launch in 2027. Having completed the process for this sub-orbital launch, we hope this bodes well and helps to contribute towards a faster process for our orbital license."

While being issued a license for the Skylark L launch is quite the achievement for Skyrora, there is every chance it will be beaten off the launch pad in the orbital rocketry stakes. Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), which [4]exploded a rocket on the pad during a test at SaxaVord in August 2024, [5]received its spaceflight operator license in January 2025, making it the first company in Europe to receive such a license for vertical launches of a privately developed orbital rocket.

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Skyrora CEO Volodymyr Levykin noted that it had been a long journey to obtain the license, although described it as an "ultimately rewarding one."

[7]Australia's attempt to join the space race lasts just 14 seconds

[8]NASA faces brain drain as thousands exit under voluntary resignation scheme

[9]Orbital datacenters subject to launch stress, nasty space weather, and expensive house calls

[10]ESA backs five rockets in Launcher Challenge – only some have exploded

"Safety is paramount to us, and so we are grateful to the CAA for its diligence in ensuring any launch activity is held to the highest of standards.

"It is essential that the UK has sovereign launch capabilities. Not only to unlock commercial activity for companies that need to access space and to help achieve the government's objectives for becoming a global player in the space sector, but also from a strategic defense consideration."

The Skyrora spokesperson added: "While Skylark L won't be used commercially, it is an excellent R&D vehicle to test future technologies."

The rocketeer did not confirm how many launches it intends to attempt with the Skylark L. Its first effort, in 2022, [11]ended in failure after it landed in the Norwegian Sea, 500 meters from the launch site. The incident, [12]according to Skyrora, was caused by "a software complication." ®

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[4] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/20/german_rocket_explodes_scotland/

[5] https://www.rfa.space/rfa-receives-launch-licence-from-the-uk/

[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aJHWJ0QhL9a1kkOpVVZaHgAAABM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/30/gilmour_space_australia_test_flight/

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/28/nasa_voluntary_exits/

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/25/orbital_datacenters_subject_to_all/

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/09/esa_elc_challengers/

[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/15/skyrora_rocket_fail/

[12] https://skyrora.com/skyroras-response-to-the-skylark-l-anomaly/

[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/