New High Altitude Launch Site In Scotland

A new site that will enable the launching of experimental rockets to an altitiude ceiling of 24,000 Metres (80,000 Feet) has been located in Scotland. The site has been given the name "the Big Range", inspired by the track In A Big Country on the 1983 debute album The Crossing by Scottish rock band Big Country.

To open up and fully use this new site, in Sutherlandshire in the North Highlands of Scotland, a launch campaign is being organised to be held a the Big Range over one of the first two weeks of May 2012. Which of these two weeks it will be will be confirmed in the near future.

The Big Range effort and the May 2012 launch campaign there are being supported by the United Kingdom Rocketry Association (UKRA, which is the enabling and advisory body for model, high power, and amateur rocketry in the UK), AspireSpace (a leading UK experimental rocketry group), and the Scottish Aeronautics & Rocketry Association (SARA - Scotland's rocket club). Links to the web sites of these three organisations are available on the Home page of the Big Range web site.

UK rocketeers are already on board to participate in the May 2012 Big Range launch campaign. We are keen to encourage experimental rocketeers from European countries and rocketry groups, and from the United States of America, and from other countries to also travel to Scotland and participate in this launch campaign, which has the potential to considerably advance rocketry in Scotland and the UK, and to add to the capacity worldwide for amateur experimental rocketry. Sites such as the Big Range now found in Scotland are a scarce resource, and hardly exist at all outside of the USA.

Why not condsider having a "rocket holiday" in Scotland in May 2012? The launch campaign provides the opportunity to meet and fly with international experimental rocketeers at an excellent and scenic site, thereby helping to develop the activity of experimental rocketry worldwide, and also the opportunity to visit and see some of Scotland, if you have not previously done so. Golspie, the "base town" for the May 2012 Big Range launch campaign, gives ready access to the very beautiful North Highlands of Scotland.

Full details so far of the site, its facitlies, and arrangements and details of rocket flying there are at the Big Range web site (see link below) or visit the EMR Rocketry Forum to discuss details.