Scottish spaceport announces new chief after death of founder

Shetland’s space port has announced its new chief executive following the death of its co-founder.

SaxaVord Spaceport announced the death of its co-founder Frank Strang MBE last week, aged 67.

Mr Strang, alongside Scott Hammond and Debbie Strang, founded the SaxaVord Spaceport on the site of a former RAF radar station on the island of Unst in Shetland.

They turned their idea for a commercial spaceport into reality in 2017, assembling a small team and winning considerable financial backing in the process.

The spaceport is in the process of preparing to host a first test flight by rocket company RFA from the site at Lamba Ness in Unst, Shetland.

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Frank Strang was one of the founders of the SaxaVord Spaceport on the site of a former RAF radar station on the island of Unst.

The company has now announced that Mr Hammond will take over as chief executive.

Debbie Strang, Saxa’s chief operating officer, will take over his role as deputy CEO. Mairi Prior has been appointed to the board as finance director.

“Of course these are not the circumstances in which I would wish to be taking over – Frank’s death has come as a huge blow both to myself as a long-standing friend and colleague and to everyone in the Saxa team,” Mr Hammond said.

“But it was Frank’s firm wish that we should complete the mission that he and I and Debbie set out on way back in 2017, of turning SaxaVord into a commercial success story.

“We have come a long way since then, with all the infrastructure and personnel in place, as well as the requisite licences, to become the UK’s and Europe’s leading vertical launch rocket site.

“I am honoured to have been chosen to lead the company and will continue to give my heart and soul to this project as CEO.

“I look forward to working closely with the team, our clients, investors, government and regulators to put the UK on the map as Europe’s gateway to space.”

Scott was a co-founder with Mr Strang and Mrs Strang of the original Shetland Space Centre, now SaxaVord Spaceport, in 2017 and as a former RAF Tornado pilot, staff officer and flight commander played a critical role in the technical set-up of the site.

He was also key liaison with government and regulatory agencies over the formulation of the UK’s first spaceport regulations.

Mrs Strang trained as an RAF supply and logistics officer and was operations officer at RAF Lossiemouth before joining the Cairngorms National Park Authority as tourism and economic development manager.

As chief operating officer, Mrs Strang leads the strategic development of the company and oversees SaxaZero, education, visitor management and tourism opportunities.