An environmental monitoring company is reaching for the stars after it won a six-figure contract with a Scottish spaceport.
Aberdeen-based Nevis Technology, which developed its meteorological data technology with customers in the harsh environment of the North Sea, will design and build a weather monitoring system for SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland.
The company, which usually focuses on the oil and gas industry, has been awarded the contract for the safety-critical equipment ahead of SaxaVord’s first vertical rocket launch due this year.
The meteorological system is made up of a range of equipment in one system which will allow the spaceport team to assess all aspects of the weather and surrounding atmosphere in the lead-up to a rocket launch, improving the safety of each such event.
By having a fully comprehensive picture of air pressure, temperature, wind speed, cloud coverage, lightning and storm detection, and overall visibility, it will also help them understand and map the trajectory of the rocket when it takes off.
Nevis Technology operations director Kathleen Dawes, who has more than 25 years’ experience working in the metocean industry, described the contract win as a “fantastic endorsement” of the technology Nevis has been developing in recent years.
She said: “SaxaVord Spaceport was looking for a ‘full service offering’, that could integrate all weather monitoring systems into one and we were able to come up with exactly what they wanted.
“Our technology allows each weather element to be detected and monitored independently, with all data reporting into one software system, meaning that it is easier to view and analyse the information.
“All the data gathered in Shetland can be accessed anywhere in the world using Nevis’ software.”
Following an initial test phase in Aberdeen, the kit will be moved to the Lamba Ness site in Unst, with installation scheduled to take place in May or June.
The first rocket launch is planned for later this year.
A total of £19 million has been invested in SaxaVord Spaceport, with a projected investment of £43m over the next 18 months developing the Lamba Ness complex, rising to £100m in the next five years.
Construction of the spaceport started last March and is ahead of schedule, with the first concrete base for a launch pad completed in November.
Ms Dawes added: “This is an exciting time for Nevis Technology, and we are very proud to have won the work with SaxaVord Spaceport.
“We are very much looking forward to being part of the team helping to make it a success.
“Although traditionally we have worked in the oil and gas arena, both on and offshore, this new relationship with SaxaVord shows just how versatile our team and our products are as we continue to develop our service offerings.”
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