Skyrora Receives UK Launch Licence – AmbaSat 3U CubeSat One Step Closer to Orbit

We’re thrilled to share a major milestone in our mission to launch the first AmbaSat 3U CubeSat into Low Earth Orbit.

On 5th August 2025, our launch partner Skyrora officially received a UK launch licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This landmark approval makes Skyrora the first British manufacturer licensed to launch a commercial vehicle — the Skylark L — from UK soil.

🔗 View the official announcement

This licence unlocks the potential for vertical orbital launches from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands — the very site where our AmbaSat CubeSat is scheduled to fly aboard the Skyrora XL rocket.

With this regulatory hurdle cleared, the countdown to launch just got real.

Mission Licensing & Integration Progress

With Skyrora licensed and ready, our own mission preparations are accelerating. Recently, the CAA’s engineering team visited AmbaSat HQ to conduct an in-depth review of our:

• Engineering methodology and verification strategy

• Risk management processes

• Concept of operations

• Documentation and mission support materials

We continue to engage with the CAA in twice-monthly meetings and have now implemented a focused CubeSat action plan to:

• Reduce the risk of fragmentation from stored energy

• Strengthen engineering documentation and testing coverage

• Minimise chances of accidental debris release

• Finalise ground segment architecture and responsibilities

• Document acceptable re-entry and collision risks

• Produce virtual models of the full AmbaSat, Flight Tray and CubeSat system

These steps bring us closer to meeting the regulatory and engineering standards required for orbital flight.

A New Chapter for UK Spaceflight

Skyrora’s licence marks a pivotal step forward for sovereign launch capability in the UK — and for us at AmbaSat, it brings our long-planned mission closer to reality.

The AmbaSat 3U CubeSat is built to support modular payloads from SMEs, universities, and research teams, and this mission will see real customer technology deployed in orbit from British soil.

We’re excited to be part of this new chapter in UK space, and we’ll continue to share updates as we move toward launch.

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– The AmbaSat Team