WV flight termination system installed at SaxaVord Spaceport

WV Communications’ flight termination system is now installed at SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst, Shetland, UK, ahead of the spaceport’s first vertical orbital launch.

The WV FTS forms part of the ground element of the spaceport’s flight safety system, alongside telemetry equipment from Safran. SaxaVord Range Manager Jimmy Slaughter, quoted in SaxaVoice Issue 6 (June 2025) , described the role of the system:

“This system allows us to track the launch vehicle, receive telemetry from it, and provide flight termination should it be required if something goes wrong.”

SaxaVord is the UK’s first licensed vertical-launch spaceport and a key site for European sovereign launch capability.