Rocket blast! Furious islanders now need passes to access their own property near spaceport ahead of launch

Published: 19:59, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 19:59, 29 June 2026 Furious islanders living near Britain’s most northerly spaceport have been told they will need ID passes to move to and from their homes ahead of the first vertical rocket launch this summer. It is thought more than 100 residents on the island of Unst, in Shetland, have been sent letters telling them to apply for a ‘local resident pass’ to ensure they have ‘continued unrestricted access’ to their properties near SaxaVord Spaceport. They said they were ordered to provide their name and vehicle registration, as well as details of any family or friends who might visit them, to make sure they are not turned away. The move – which residents say could see roads closed and a one-way system put in place in the village of Haroldswick during the island’s busy summer tourist season – was branded a ‘nonsense’. One angry local, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Why should I have to show them anything to get into my own house? I understand what they are trying to do – they want to restrict cars coming into the village. ‘But this makes no sense to me. I have a big family who live on the south of the island and I had to put all their names down so they won’t have any problem if they want to come and see me.’ Another resident said: ‘They want to know everyone’s name who could be in my car… not even the police have the right to know who your passengers are. It’s getting a bit take, take, take.’ It comes just a day after it was revealed that German space firm Rocket Factory Augsburg, which is behind the ‘landmark’ launch, has applied for a marine licence to dump rocket debris into the sea north of the island and leave it to ‘sink to the seabed’. Locals are outraged at the disruption caused by SaxaVord on Unst in Shetland  Rocket engine testing at SaxaVord. Residents fear the spaceport could have a 'devastating' impact on the area  Opponents fear using the island’s waters as a dustbin could have a ‘devastating’ impact on tourism, fishing and marine life. Now residents are concerned the latest demands will also hit tourism after being told there would be ‘managed control points’ during launch periods, with the first take-off expected over the coming weeks. They said the letter from the spaceport said temporary traffic restrictions would be in place for ‘several hours at a time’ at the north of the island. And it stated: ‘To ensure that you are still able to access your home or property during these times we are introducing a local resident pass. 'This pass will identify you to traffic management personnel allowing you continued unrestricted access through managed control points.’ Farmer Davie McMillan, who is based just three miles from the launch site, insisted he was ‘not against’ the spaceport. But he said: ‘It’s just the way they have gone about it. If they think they are going to put up barriers that will stop the movement of animals and crops, it’s not going to happen. ‘They want to implement a one-way system right in the middle of the tourist season when there’s more motorhomes and caravans – it’s bad enough for local residents getting in and out of their homes without adding to it.’ Resident Paula Goddard feared the impact on tour guides, holidaymakers and deliveries, while fishermen have also hit out at a proposed exclusion zone during launch windows. They say it will particularly impact inshore fleets with ideal weather conditions for rocket launches ‘likely to coincide with the best fishing weather’. Islanders told the Mail the exclusion zone could take effect from July 1 to August 7. A spokesman for SaxaVord Spaceport insisted there would be ‘minimal impact on fishing activity’. He added ‘a small number of road closures near the launch site will be in place during the launch window for safety reasons’ and ‘a local resident vehicle pass is being introduced’. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.