PRESTWICK Airport will apply for grants from South Ayrshire Council to allow them to become a spaceport by 2020.

The project, which started off as a competition between six major sites, has been on the cards since 2014 and would be an investment worth between £3m and £5m.

Sources told the Ayr Advertiser Series it looks promising that Prestwick could operate the space station, as they have already signed an agreement with Houston Spaceport.

The airport will also apply to other sources for grant funding provided they are successful in obtaining a licence.

A spokeswoman for Prestwick Airport said: “We have been working on this project for a number of years. It started in 2014 and we hope the spaceport will be operational by 2020.

"It started out as a competition last year with several sites bidding to become a spaceport.

“But that came to an end last year and we were encouraged to apply for the licence instead.”

The Spaceport Bill is being discussed in UK parliament. Other sites that were interested in the project include New Quay, Stornoway and Machrihanish.

Once the bill has been passed, Prestwick Airport will have the opportunity to apply for licence to use their facility as a space station.
Providing they are successful it is hoped the base will be operational by 2020.