Colorado space logistics company LEAP plans to fly its reusable Bullfrog rocket from Sutherland Spaceport in northern Scotland after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the site’s owner.
The deal would make Sutherland LEAP’s first launch site outside the United States. Operations would start with Bullfrog before moving to Bighorn, the company’s larger vehicle for suborbital, point-to-point and orbital missions.
The agreement is non-binding. Any launches remain subject to technical assessment, regulatory approval and final commercial agreements.
A single-stage rocket built for speed
Bullfrog is a fully reusable, single-stage, single-engine liquid rocket designed for high-frequency missions. It made its first flight in May from the Friends of Amateur Rocketry pad in Mojave, California, and was recovered after landing.
The flight tested several systems for the first time, Payload reported. They included LEAP’s proprietary dual-mode engine, which combines boost and vacuum-optimised modes to do the work of a two-stage system in one, along with a thermal protection system and guidance hardware supplied by WarpWare.
Bullfrog reached about 40 kilometres, a cap imposed by the range. CEO Chris Beckman said flight data indicated the vehicle could have climbed to roughly 175 kilometres.
The rocket carries around 100 pounds of payload and targets point-to-point delivery, hypersonic testing and suborbital research. LEAP manufactures its fuel tanks in-house with a proprietary forming method, at a cost Beckman put at about $5,000 per tank.
Launch sites that travel
LEAP’s approach to infrastructure is what makes a remote Highland site viable. The company pairs mass-produced vehicles with modular factories and containerised, transportable launch equipment, so capacity can be added wherever customers need it.
In Mojave, Bullfrog flew less than 30 hours after arriving at the range. Beckman expects future setups to take between 12 and 24 hours.
Each LEAP factory is designed to produce more than 30 vehicles a year. Talks with UK stakeholders include potential manufacturing and test activity in the Highlands and Islands, alongside supply chain and university partnerships.
“We’re not just building a rocket. We’re building a global logistics network, and a network needs launch sites wherever customers require them,” Beckman said.
Bighorn, a 53-foot vehicle, is expected to begin testing in late 2027, with a first orbital flight targeted for 2028. LEAP has also outlined plans for a single-use spaceplane called Puma and a medium-lift rocket called Springbok.
Sutherland has been idle since its original operator, Orbex, entered administration in February. HIE acquired the site’s assets in August and holds a 75-year lease on the land.
“This MOU with LEAP is a significant step forward for the site,” said David Oxley, HIE’s Director of Strategic Projects.
Featured image: courtesy of LEAP
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