Cold War bunker in UK reborn as advanced rocket test facility

A former Cold War-era armored building near the Mull of Kintyre in the UK has been transformed into MachLab, an advanced rocket test and teaching facility. Originally part of a US Air Force refueling complex in the late 1980s, the structure’s robust design now provides a secure environment for experimental rocket engine firings. Located on the former RAF Machrihanish airbase, MachLab was developed through a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and industry partners, securing around £500,000 in funding, including support from the UK Space Agency. The facility is equipped to test rocket engines producing up to one tonne of thrust and aims to advance rocket propulsion research. MachLab also focuses on training the next generation of UK rocket engineers through programs like the Rocketry Research Teaching Training (R2T2) initiative led by the University of Glasgow. The facility supports the development of engines using various propellants—solid, liquid, and cryogenic—and provides detailed data collection on parameters such as