Willmott Dixon has won a deal to build an aviation centre at Newquay Airport, which will be part of Spaceport Cornwall’s Centre for Space Technologies (CST).
The £5.8m CST development includes a satellite integration and mission operations facility. Willmott Dixon’s contract to build the aviation centre is worth £2.3m.
The Centre for Space Technologies will enable satellites to be integrated into rockets, ready to launch from Cornwall for 2022. Willmott Dixon has already started work on the project.
The Corserv Group has developed the feasibility and secured funding for the Aviation Centre and will manage the construction contract – bringing colleagues from Cornwall Development Company, Cormac Facilities and Cornwall Airport Newquay together to facilitate the build and set a framework for future expansion at this crucial location in the heart of Cornwall.
Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Government’s Getting Building Fund, the CST will deliver R&D workspace, a laboratory cleanroom, education outreach facility and collaboration space.
Melissa Thorpe, head of Spaceport Cornwall said: “This is a huge step forward in our journey enabling us to deliver the first horizontal launch in Cornwall by 2022 and progressing the creation of a multi-user spaceport. The inclusion of the Centre of Space Technologies on site will be a valuable asset to Cornwall’s space cluster – helping accelerate the industry in the region even further.”
Rob Woolcock, Willmott Dixon director of operations said: “We are delighted to be involved in this project. It is an exciting time to working at Cornwall Airport Newquay and the team are looking forward to delivering the new Aviation Centre and helping position Cornwall as a key part of the national space programme.
“We are confident that the new building will be a great addition to the facilities at the Airport, ready to serve the exciting Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system.”
