Spaceport Cornwall Opens New Satellite Launch Centre For Research, Development.

Spaceport Cornwall has officially opened a new centre for businesses involved in satellite launch and development.

The Space Systems Operations Facility (SSOF) opening comes after the unsuccessful launch of satellites by a plane from the spaceport in January.

The SSOF will enable businesses to build and launch satellites from Cornwall, Spaceport Cornwall said.

It will also be a centre for research and development.

Matt Archer of the UK Space Agency said the Virgin Orbit satellite mission in January “was not the outcome that we wanted”.

But he said it “proves that they have the capability and the resilience and the ability to position themselves as a long-term spaceport”.

The January satellite mission, the first from UK soil, ended in failure after a rocket fuel filter became dislodged.

Virgin Orbit has since filed for bankruptcy.