The Conservative MP for Wyre Forest, which is the chair of the local advisory board for Shetland Space Centre, has stated that Shetland Space Centre has been the main driver behind encouraging the UK to go into space. This comes after a long period of consultation and planning. He went on to state that the people of Shetland have long been supportive of the idea, which was first discussed way back in 1963. Since then though, major advances have been made, and it is now time to move things forward. This means that an official scheme has to be in place, which will take all the necessary planning and implementation into effect. If you are interested in learning more detailed information, then follow the space news at Orbital Today.
This means that the Shetland Space Centre needs to secure funding, which could potentially come from the government. In addition to this, Shetland itself could raise the capital, but this would depend on whether the peninsula was included in the national transport infrastructure plan. The spaceport is still very much a part of Shetland, with the town enjoying almost daily flights from London, and also carrying out some regular trains from Shetland to Scotland, and Eastern Europe and the Baltic states. If the airport was to close down completely, then people could not travel from Shetland, and no one would be able to access the spaceport from there either. Therefore, it is imperative that the spaceport remains viable for future use.
One major advantage of the Shetland Space Centre lies in its location, as it is only half an hour's drive from Edinburgh. Therefore, people living in Shetland would be able to take benefit of this many opportunities. The two prime options would be to fly to Edinburgh, and then take a train southwards to Shetland, or alternatively, to visit the north of Shetland and visit the spaceport. If people were to go up the railway line from Edinburgh, they would be able to reach Shetland Space Centre easily, avoiding the traffic jam at the spaceport.
Another major attraction of the Shetland Space Centre is its ability to cater for international organisations. The aerospace industry is a big business, and if it wants to invest in Scotland, then it would be foolish not to invest here. In Shetland, there are plenty of international airports, making it easier to deliver vehicles to space. It seems logical that such a business should look to invest in a location where its products will be made available for international customers.
The Shetland Islands has hosted a number of aerospace ventures, most notably in the aviation sector, but also space launches and tourist operations. Therefore, if you want to see more of Shetland, you could take a boat to Shetland Space Centre and visit its launch pad, or you could visit the spaceport and watch launches from its observation deck. Both these options are very accessible and allow tourists to take advantage of all there is to do in Shetland.
There has also been mention recently of plans to turn Shetland into a world leader in green living. This means using sustainable methods to power Shetland's infrastructure and food chain. The spaceport will be an important player in this, as it will be a center for the development of green technologies. Plans are now underway for Shetland to become a base for NASA's robotic exploration and the development of a permanent human colony on the Scottish mainland. This will make Shetland very attractive to companies that develop human habitats on the Scottish mainland, as it will be the base for many of these missions.
Another attraction of the Shetland Space Centre is its launch pad. It was used in the last two World War Two launches, and now it is used as an operational test site for space industry tests and vehicle testing. All space organisations need at least one launch pad, and this is one which has a lot of historical significance. Many people are aware of its use during World War Two, but many do not realize that Shetland is the home of the launch pad, and this makes it an even more interesting site to visit.
If you would like to travel further afield from Shetland, you can choose a vehicle to drive between the two locations, or you can take a train. Between the two locations there are plenty of towns and villages to visit. You may wish to take a tram from the spaceport to reach Shetland, or you can take a train between Shetland and the town of Inverness. From there, you can travel a little further to the North Sea via the easterly Caledonia Railway. Overall, this is a very agreeable region to visit, as well as a great place to go and explore some beautiful scenery.