Orbex is hiring an additional fifty staff members over the next six months to support the Scottish space company's final push towards the first vertical rocket launch from UK soil.
Many of the new roles will support integrated testing of the complete rocket at the Orbex LP1 launch platform test facility at Kinloss. Located a few miles from the Orbex headquarters in Forres in Moray, the facility allows for full ‘dress rehearsals’ of rocket launches.
The new hires will strengthen existing teams responsible for key areas of development of the rocket, including propulsion, structures, avionics, CNC machining, and embedded software. Other recruitment areas will facilitate communications between ground staff and the rocket in flight, covering fields such as GNC (guidance, navigation & control) systems, sensors, data capture, ground segment software, and radio engineering.
Fifteen of the new roles will be non-technical positions, offering a range of opportunities to train or re-skill for a career in the UK and European space sector. These positions require no past experience of the space or aerospace industry and cover areas such as logistics, finance and procurement.
“We have already tripled the size of our team over the last twelve months," Orbex chief executive Chris Larmour said. "And now, the roles we're recruiting for are the clearest demonstration that we're in the final countdown to launch from UK soil.”
Orbex recently revealed the full rocket in its final form, making it the first full orbital micro-launcher to be unveiled in Europe. Designed to transport small satellites weighing roughly 150kg into low Earth orbit, the Orbex Prime rocket will be the first to be powered by bio-propane, which will reduce carbon emissions by up to 96 per cent.
The sustainability credentials extend to the company's 'home' spaceport of Space Hub Sutherland on the north coast of Scotland, which aims to become the world’s first carbon-neutral spaceport.
Hampden on track for its first year of profit
Scottish boutique bank Hampden & Co has posted record results for the first half of 2022 with total income up 47 per cent year-on-year to £8.8 million.
The Edinburgh-based bank also reported a 21% increase in deposits to £731m, while loans and advances rose by 14% to £434m. Demand for its specialist mortgages and loans – such as residential, retirement, buy-to-let, guarantor, multi-property, and self-build mortgages – was particularly strong in London and the south-east, accounting for approximately two-thirds of total lending in the first six months of the year.
Shetland renewables hopes boosted by three new Crown Estate projects
Three new offshore wind projects in an area east of Shetland have been given the go-ahead by the Crown Estate.
The projects, which have a common hydrogen focus, have been awarded to applicants in the ScotWind auction of seabed licences this year that met the technical requirements but missed out on their preferred location.
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