Orbex the UK-based spaceflight company, has been recognised for its disruptive potential in the Sunday Times Fast Track Disruptors to Watch. The accolade is based on research across a cross-section of UK industries that examined factors such as business model, management team, investor credibility and total funds raised.

This year’s Disruptors to Watch 10 was published in the Fast Track 100 supplement in the Sunday Times on 1st December: the overall winner will be announced at the Fast Track 100 dinner in May. Past winners include Graphcore, the chip manufacturer backed by Sequoia Capital and the co-founder of ARM Holdings. Orbex is the only manufacturer and the only company based in Scotland on the shortlist.

Orbex recently let cameras into its working rocket factory in Scotland for the first time revealing how the company is using advanced engineering techniques and materials to create the next generation of renewably-fuelled European orbital launch vehicles.

Uniquely for a commercial rocket, Prime will use bio-propane, a clean-burning and completely renewable fuel that also reduces carbon emissions by 90 per cent compared to conventional rocket fuels.

“We’re creating rockets in a way that hasn’t been done before,” said Chris Larmour, Orbex CEO. “Our objective as a private enterprise “NewSpace” company is to provide faster, better and cheaper access to space. As a modern space business, we’ve adopted a disruptive approach to manufacturing to be faster, more agile and more flexible.”

Orbex has already secured multiple commercial agreements to take small satellites into orbit from the proposed spaceports in Sutherland, Scotland, and the Azores.