RFA hot fire test in Saxavord

Rocket Factory Augsburg hot fire test of their RFA One launcher stage at Saxavord in the UK. 

With its Boost! programme, ESA is boosting commercial initiatives that offer transportation services to space, in space, and returning from space. The programme also supports Member States implementing national objectives for spaceports, testing facilities and more.

Boost! co-funding awarded in November 2024 will help RFA prepare the next first stage flight hardware for more testing and launch.

Rocket Factory Augsburg, known as RFA, is developing commercial space transportation services based on the RFA One launch vehicle at sites in Portugal, Germany and the UK.

RFA One is an orbital vehicle that will have three stages and be launched from its Saxavord launch pad in the UK. Measuring 30 m tall and 2 m in diameter, RFA One targets a deployment capability of up to 1300 kg to a 500 km polar orbit.

The RFA One launch vehicle is being developed in Augsburg, Germany, with hot-fire tests of the engine and second stage already performed at the Esrange Space Center in Sweden, under the initial Boost! co-funding committed by ESA in 2022.