Scottish spaceport expansion plans include hotel and visitor centre

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Plans to create a Scottish spaceport include a new hotel and visitor centre. The island of Unst in Shetland, which is the northern-most part of the UK, is earmarked for the launch site.

The team behind SaxaVord spaceport hopes to build new accommodation near the site, appealing to those keen to see rare birds and wildlife as well as rocket launches.

Thousands attended an attempted launch at a spaceport in Cornwall earlier this year, and hundreds are expected to attend the first orbital blast offs and a viewing area will be set up across a bay, opposite the spaceports' launch pads.Debbie Strang, chief operating officer at SaxaVord, said the company had carried out a study into how many people would come to Unst.

She said: "The research said most people wanted to see the base of the rocket. It's absolutely going to be an added draw for people who have made the decision to come to Shetland, they will come for longer and they'll try and see a launch."If they're not here for a launch, they will want to come to the site - and they'll want to understand what space is all about, not just Saxa's role in that."They'll want some sort of visitor centre and education to understand more about space.