Enlarge / Hot fire test of integrated second stage for ABL Space System's RS1 rocket in the fall of 2020. (credit: ABL Space Systems)
Lockheed Martin says it has selected United States-based ABL Space Systems to launch the first orbital rocket from the United Kingdom—a mission that is expected to take place from Scotland in 2022.
The launch is part of an agreement between the United Kingdom government and Lockheed to foster a commercial small satellite launch industry in the country. No rockets have ever launched into orbit from UK soil, but now the government is seeking to become both a launch center of Europe and a small satellite manufacturer.
In choosing ABL Space, Lockheed has chosen a company that has not yet launched a rocket, although its RS1 vehicle is expected to make its debut during the second quarter of this year. Lockheed is an investor in the El Segundo, California-based ABL Space and believes it is on track to succeed.
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