The MachLab rocket testing facility has opened at a business park on the site of the former RAF Machrihanish airbase near Campbeltown, Scotland.
The facility, which was formerly a Cold War-era armored building was established by the University of Glasgow with close to US$625,000 (£500,000) in funding from industry, including a matched contribution from the UK Space Agency. MachLab aims to support the R&D of new rocket engines capable of delivering up to 2,204lb (1 tonne) of thrust.
Researchers from academia and industry will be able to fire experimental rocket designs and gather data on their performance using MachLab’s custom-built test stand. The facility will also help establish the UK’s next generation of rocket engineers through specialist training, including a University of Glasgow-led program called Rocketry Research Teaching Training.
Dr Krzysztof Bzdyk and Professor Patrick Harkness, of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, partnered with space technology company Exotopic to design and build the MachLab facility. The facility forms part of Exotopic’s growing R&D infrastructure at the Machrihanish site.
“MachLab is ready to play a key role in the UK’s strategy to return to vertical launch, ensuring that students and researchers can access hotfire facilities in a safe and controlled environment,” Harkness said. “MachLab will allow us to co-operate with other countries establishing or re-establishing their access to space.”
The facility has already hosted an initial test-fire of new 3D-printed rocket engines with an advanced cooling system, designed by University of Glasgow PhD student Jack Tufft. The TORC-1, -2, and -3 engines use a high-strength aerospace alloy made from copper, chromium and zirconium and were built to explore use of topology optimization in regenerative cooling channel design.
The rocket test stand in MachLab’s fortified laboratory allows researchers to fire prototype rockets while they remain safely locked down and stationary. The lab was originally built in the late 1980s as part of a refueling complex for US Air Force strategic bombers.
MachLab’s data-collection equipment provides researchers with detailed readings of temperature, propellant consumption, chamber pressure, and other key metrics to help them understand and refine their designs. In the future, MachLab will enable the development of rocket engines using solid, liquid and cryogenic propellants designed to carry payloads into space.
“MachLab has been two years in the making, with all the systems required to operate a liquid bipropellant rocket engine being created from the ground up,” Bzdyk said. “We’re excited to be ready to start making our mark in rocket research, development and teaching in Scotland.”
Andy Grey, CEO of Exotopic, said “This has been a fantastic opportunity to partner with some of the UK’s leading researchers at the University of Glasgow to develop a world-class facility that provides a key capability within our unique aerospace R&D offering at Machrihanish airbase. We are looking forward to welcoming national and international researchers from academia and industry to our site, growing this R&D service, and creating more jobs and opportunities in the area.”
Matt Archer, director of launch at the UK Space Agency, said, “Facilities like MachLab strengthen our launch ecosystem, helping build the skills, infrastructure and innovation needed for a resilient UK launch capability. By supporting rocket engine testing and inspiring future engineers, it lays the groundwork for the UK to lead in launch. The UK Space Agency is proud to have supported MachLab’s development as part of our broader commitment to growing the UK’s launch sector.”
