Rocket Factory Augsburg Secures UK Operator Licence for 2025 Vertical Launch from Scotland

16th Jan 2025
Rocket Factory Augsburg Secures UK Operator Licence for 2025 Vertical Launch from Scotland

Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has been awarded a UK CAA Operator Licence as they take another significant step toward its next test flight.

RFA, a European leader in developing flexible, low-cost launch services, will take advantage of the range control licence and spaceport licence from SaxaVord Spaceport in order to take off from Scottish soil in 2025.

RFA’s First UK Vertical Launch Inches Closer

RFA announced in a statement that they would now be shifting focus to the technical side of things for the first test flight. Static fire tests of the first stage of the rocket took place at the launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, but ultimately ended in a rocket engine exploding due to an anomaly.

The company had claimed to be weeks away from a launch during 2024, so it makes sense that they would be ready to go once given the necessary clearances. At the time of the explosion, they set their sights back to a 2025 launch and shared important information about how they would tackle the issues.

RFA has since achieved successful flight qualification of the RFA ONE’s second stage, its advanced Redshift orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), and its payload fairing system. The rocket’s first stage will use nine Helix staged-combustion engines and will need to come through another full hot fire test on the launch pad of SaxaVord.

The remaining efforts are centred on building the rocket´s first stage with nine Helix staged-combustion engines, and conducting a full hot fire test on the launch pad at SaxaVord Spaceport, Scotland.

A spokesperson from the UK Civil Aviation Authority explained that: “This is a new era for aerospace and granting the first vertical launch licence from UK soil builds towards a historic milestone for the nation. This licence is the culmination of extensive hard work behind the scenes to put appropriate safety and environmental measures in place before launch. Through effective licensing and regulation we are enabling the expanding the space sector to reach new heights.”

RFA has focused largely on low-cost solutions and helped to underline the importance of the private solutions that will help to meet the demand for satellites, which will inevitably grow in the coming years. RFA is a key player for Europe’s ambitions in spaceflight and has already forged an important partnership with SaxaVord. A vertical launch from UK soil has taken another step closer with this news.

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