Skyrora circles Orbex wreckage as UK rocket rival heads for administration
(2026/02/13)
- Reference: 1770975009
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/02/13/british_wannabe_rocketeers_fail_to/
- Source link:
Skyrora is eyeing the wreckage of fellow British rocketeer Orbex following the latter's announcement that it will appoint administrators.
The move likely marks the end for Orbex and its hopes to launch the Prime rocket in 2026. After exhausting funding options and M&A opportunities, the business was no longer viable.
"Disappointing doesn't come close to describing how we feel about this moment," the company's CEO Phil Chambers said in a [1]statement , "We have been successfully developing a sustainable, world-class sovereign space launch capability for the UK and were on the cusp of our first test flights later this year."
[2]
The company was on that cusp for a while. In 2021, Orbex's former CEO Chris Larmour [3]told The Register they were "working towards the end of 2022", though he noted that "there's always something either internally or externally, that impacts the ability to meet those dates…"
[4]
[5]
Larmour [6]left Orbex abruptly in 2023, and said he was "leaving the company in good shape, with deep pockets and a clear path to first launches."
Skyrora has expressed interest in purchasing some of Orbex's assets, including the Sutherland Spaceport. The spaceport, located in the Highlands of Scotland, was to support Orbex's Prime launch vehicle, but at the end of 2024, Orbex [7]confirmed it was pausing construction. Initial launches of the Prime vehicle would have instead taken place from the [8]SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.
[9]
Dr Jack-James Marlow, COO at Skyrora, said in a statement: "As the only UK company with a domestic launch license and both manufacturing and testing capabilities, Skyrora is best placed to take over Orbex's assets."
[10]Smartphones cleared for launch as NASA loosens the rulebook
[11]Stash or splash? Lawmakers ask NASA to find alternatives for International Space Station
[12]NASA taps Claude to conjure Mars rover's travel plan
[13]Voyager 2's close encounter with Uranus wasn't in the original plan
Skyrora is only at the preliminary expression of interest stage and has not responded to requests for further comment.
The imminent appointment of administrators of Orbex is embarrassing for the UK government. In January 2025, the then technology secretary, Peter Kyle, [14]said : "Supporting Orbex's launch will also turbocharge the country's position in the space sector and inspire our next generation of space professionals, who will be able to design, test, build and launch British rockets, carrying British satellites, from British soil."
Kyle was speaking following a £20m UK government investment in the company.
A £6m followed, but it seems unlikely Orbex - in its current form at least - will reach orbit any time soon.
[15]
A spokesperson for UK government told The Register :
"We remain committed to supporting our dynamic space sector. The UK attracts some of the highest levels of private space investment in Europe, and we are home to over 1,900 innovative space companies such as Open Cosmos, Magdrive, Filtronic, and Space Forge. These companies support tens of thousands of high-skilled jobs across the country.
"We recognise this will be a very worrying time for staff at Orbex. Space launch is a highly competitive sector, and it has always been the case that some companies will succeed, while others will fail.
"We will be setting out more details about our plans for developing key national space capabilities, including launch, in due course. Any decisions will be focused on ensuring maximum impact for taxpayers’ money." ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://orbex.space/news/blow-as-orbex-set-to-appoint-administrators
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/14/orbex_interview/
[4] 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=44aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7052648668377575424-iCjR/
[7] https://orbex.space/spaceport
[8] https://orbex.space/news/orbex-visits-saxavord-spaceport
[9] 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=44aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/06/smartphones_nasa/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/05/iss_stash_or_splash/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/31/nasa_taps_claude_to_conjure/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/27/40_years_voyager_2_uranus/
[14] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/scottish-rocket-launch-boost-to-get-britain-back-into-space-race
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The move likely marks the end for Orbex and its hopes to launch the Prime rocket in 2026. After exhausting funding options and M&A opportunities, the business was no longer viable.
"Disappointing doesn't come close to describing how we feel about this moment," the company's CEO Phil Chambers said in a [1]statement , "We have been successfully developing a sustainable, world-class sovereign space launch capability for the UK and were on the cusp of our first test flights later this year."
[2]
The company was on that cusp for a while. In 2021, Orbex's former CEO Chris Larmour [3]told The Register they were "working towards the end of 2022", though he noted that "there's always something either internally or externally, that impacts the ability to meet those dates…"
[4]
[5]
Larmour [6]left Orbex abruptly in 2023, and said he was "leaving the company in good shape, with deep pockets and a clear path to first launches."
Skyrora has expressed interest in purchasing some of Orbex's assets, including the Sutherland Spaceport. The spaceport, located in the Highlands of Scotland, was to support Orbex's Prime launch vehicle, but at the end of 2024, Orbex [7]confirmed it was pausing construction. Initial launches of the Prime vehicle would have instead taken place from the [8]SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.
[9]
Dr Jack-James Marlow, COO at Skyrora, said in a statement: "As the only UK company with a domestic launch license and both manufacturing and testing capabilities, Skyrora is best placed to take over Orbex's assets."
[10]Smartphones cleared for launch as NASA loosens the rulebook
[11]Stash or splash? Lawmakers ask NASA to find alternatives for International Space Station
[12]NASA taps Claude to conjure Mars rover's travel plan
[13]Voyager 2's close encounter with Uranus wasn't in the original plan
Skyrora is only at the preliminary expression of interest stage and has not responded to requests for further comment.
The imminent appointment of administrators of Orbex is embarrassing for the UK government. In January 2025, the then technology secretary, Peter Kyle, [14]said : "Supporting Orbex's launch will also turbocharge the country's position in the space sector and inspire our next generation of space professionals, who will be able to design, test, build and launch British rockets, carrying British satellites, from British soil."
Kyle was speaking following a £20m UK government investment in the company.
A £6m followed, but it seems unlikely Orbex - in its current form at least - will reach orbit any time soon.
[15]
A spokesperson for UK government told The Register :
"We remain committed to supporting our dynamic space sector. The UK attracts some of the highest levels of private space investment in Europe, and we are home to over 1,900 innovative space companies such as Open Cosmos, Magdrive, Filtronic, and Space Forge. These companies support tens of thousands of high-skilled jobs across the country.
"We recognise this will be a very worrying time for staff at Orbex. Space launch is a highly competitive sector, and it has always been the case that some companies will succeed, while others will fail.
"We will be setting out more details about our plans for developing key national space capabilities, including launch, in due course. Any decisions will be focused on ensuring maximum impact for taxpayers’ money." ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://orbex.space/news/blow-as-orbex-set-to-appoint-administrators
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2021/06/14/orbex_interview/
[4] 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=44aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7052648668377575424-iCjR/
[7] https://orbex.space/spaceport
[8] https://orbex.space/news/orbex-visits-saxavord-spaceport
[9] 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=44aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/06/smartphones_nasa/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/05/iss_stash_or_splash/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/31/nasa_taps_claude_to_conjure/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/27/40_years_voyager_2_uranus/
[14] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/scottish-rocket-launch-boost-to-get-britain-back-into-space-race
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aY8ETx0_fDDBui0S-G8FhwAAAkI&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
This would be an interesting post-mortem
What caused them to fail?
Was it government red tape? Was it a lack of talent? Was it an inability to get various things a rocket needs that are sometimes difficult to acquire? Was it a lack of customers? Was it a poor business model? Was it just running things on too damn much of a shoestring?
A £20m UK government investment doesn't really even get one rocket finished.
I assume "A £6m followed" means they got £6m more funding, which is a drop in the bucket. That wouldn't even equip a small test stand.
It sounds like "we got a pat on the back and a 'good luck' and were left out to dry"