Rocket Factory Augsburg receives €2.7M ESA funding for SaxaVord tests

The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) an additional €2.7 million to develop critical testing infrastructure at the SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands. This funding, provided through the UK Space Agency’s Boost! programme, will be matched by an equal investment from RFA.

The funds are designated for modifying ground infrastructure to support the development of the RFA One orbital launcher. Specifically, the improvements will allow for direct Helix 1.0 engine hot-fire tests at the spaceport and enable the testing of the RFA One second stage. These activities are essential preparations for the vehicle’s first two planned flights, Test Flight-1 and Test Flight-2.

RFA One is a three-stage orbital launcher designed to carry up to 500 kg to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 km. If successful, the RFA One launch from SaxaVord would represent the first vertical orbital launch from UK soil.