Articles
Articles
Satellites and the Environment: Space Helping Earth
It’s a time to celebrate our amazing planet—and to think about how we can protect it. From forests and oceans to animals and air, there’s so much worth saving. But did you know that space is helping us do just that?
Let’s take a look at how satellites are helping scientists care for Earth—and how SaxaVord is part of that mission too!
What are satellites?
Satellites are machines that orbit (go around) the Earth. Some are as big as a bus, others as small as a shoebox! They take pictures, collect data, and send information back to scientists on the ground. Think of them as space scouts—keeping an eye on our planet from above.
How do satellites help the enviroment?
Satellites are like superheroes for the Earth. Here’s how they help:
🌳 Watching Forests
Satellites can spot when trees are being cut down or when wildfires break out. This helps protect animals and stop deforestation.
🌊 Monitoring Oceans
They track ocean temperatures, sea levels, and even plastic pollution. This helps scientists protect marine life like whales, turtles, and coral reefs.
🌦️ Tracking Weather and Climate
Satellites help us understand storms, droughts, and climate change. They give early warnings for hurricanes and help us prepare for natural disasters.
🐘 Protecting Wildlife
Some satellites track animals like elephants and polar bears. This helps conservationists keep them safe from harm.
🏙️ Cleaner Cities
Satellites can detect air pollution and heat in cities. This helps leaders make better choices for cleaner, greener living.
What Does This Have to Do with SaxaVord?
At SaxaVord Spaceport, we’re not just launching rockets—we’re launching ideas that help the planet.
We support missions that use satellites to:
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Protect nature 🌿
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Study climate change 🌡️
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Improve farming and food 🌾
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Keep people safe during disasters 🚨
By helping satellites get into space, SaxaVord is helping Earth too. Because space isn’t just about exploring the stars—it’s about taking care of the world we live on.
What Can We Learn from this?
The more we learn about Earth, the better we can protect it. Satellites give us a bird’s-eye view of our planet—and that view helps us make smarter, kinder choices.
So next time you look up at the sky, remember: space is helping Earth. And so can you.
Written by The Fredo Team
NATO Delegates Visit SaxaVord Spaceport After STARLIFT Summit!
Something amazing just happened right here at SaxaVord Spaceport!
A group of top delegates from NATO flew up to Unst to see what SaxaVord and its German rocket partner RFA are building – and it’s all to do with a big project called STARLIFT.
Wait - What's NATO?
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It’s a group of 32 countries from Europe and North America that have agreed to work together to keep each other safe. If one NATO country is in danger, the others help out. It’s kind of like a team of superheroes—but with satellites, radars, and space tech instead of capes!
Why is NATO Visiting SaxaVord?
After two important days of meetings in Edinburgh, hosted by the UK’s Department for Science, Industry and Technology, the Ministry of Defence, and the UK Space Agency, the delegates came to the northernmost tip of the UK to see space launch power in action.
So, what is STARLIFT? It’s a NATO project helping countries launch satellites quickly when needed, using commercial launch partners. Satellites can help keep us all safe – for defence, communication, and even emergency response!
SaxaVord is playing a key role. We’re the UK’s only fully licensed vertical launch spaceport. Along with RFA and other companies like HyImpulse, SaxaVord is getting ready to launch from UK soil later this year.
Frank Strang, CEO of SaxaVord, said:
“With global geopolitical uncertainty mounting, today was a great opportunity for SaxaVord and RFA to show the NATO Starlift delegates what we have built here and brief them on our future plans.
Space as a domain has an ever-increasing role to play in keeping us secure and protecting our economies, and the UK and Europe have an asset in SaxaVord and partners like RFA that can help defend our combined interests.”
Daniel Hilgert, NATO’s Senior Space Coordinator, said:
“Through the STARLIFT programme, Allies are exploring novel mechanisms to harness innovation in the commercial launch market, allowing for faster responses to security and defence needs in the space domain.”
Peter Kyle, UK Science and Technology Secretary, added:
“We have been working to bolster the UK’s ability to launch into space so that we can boost our collective security both domestically and for our allies as well as grow the UK’s space industry and the British economy, as part of our Plan for Change.
This event at SaxaVord was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the progress being made towards launch from UK soil, as the spaceport prepares for its first launches with companies such as RFA and Orbex.”
The UK and Germany have already promised to work more closely together in defence, through the Trinity House Agreement. This visit shows just how serious that partnership is — and that SaxaVord is right at the centre of it all.
From Unst to outer space… NATO knows SaxaVord is ready.
Stay tuned, Unstronauts — launch day is coming soon!
Written by The Fredo Team
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Paul Riddell
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Leicester Space Camp Blasts off in Unst!
From the 10th to the 14th of March, something out of this world happened in Shetland! Over 30 lucky Secondary 1 students from schools all across the Shetland isles took part in an amazing Leicester Space Camp on the island of Unst – the home of SaxaVord Spaceport!
The camp was part of the ‘Space to Learn’ project, run by the brilliant team at the National Space Academy. It was supported by SaxaVord Spaceport, the Jon Egging Trust, and funded by the UK Space Agency – which meant it was completely free for all the students!
What was Space Camp all about?
For five whole days, the students took part in exciting, hands-on space science lessons that linked to what they learn in school – but way more fun! The expert space teachers from the National Space Academy led sessions where students:
🌍 Explored faraway exoplanets
🔭 Made their very own telescopes
🔥 Used infra-red cameras in experiments
🚀 Built and launched real mini rockets
How cool is that?!
The aim of the camp was to help students get curious about science, think creatively, and see just how exciting learning about space can be!
Space Camp Highlights
During the week, the students also visited SaxaVord Spaceport, where rockets will launch to space in the future! They learned about all the amazing space jobs people can do – maybe even one they might want to try one day.
👩🚀 Debbie Strang, COO of SaxaVord, said:
"It's great that we have been able to join up with the National Space Academy to provide such a unique learning opportunity for students in Shetland, opening their eyes to the possiblity of further study and ultimately perhaps a career in this rapidly growing sector. I am sure they will enjoy the experience."
👩🔬 Sophie Allan, Head of Teaching & Learning at the National Space Academy, said:
"Space Camps are a joy and a privilege to run, already I have been so impressed by the way the students are engaging with the sessions. They are bringing heaps of creativity, great questions, and a thirst for knowledge to every minute and it’s wonderful to be part of. We’re pleased and proud to be delivering this very special Space Camp on Unst as part of the Space to Learn programme. For me, this location, nestled just a few miles from SaxaVord Spaceport, working with students who rarely get exposure to programmes like this, is the perfect culmination of this ambitious project."
Want to Learn More?
To find out more about the National Space Academy and their space science programmes, visit:
What an unforgettable week for Shetland’s future space explorers!
All Images © Keiba Clubb
