Shetland spaceport receives ESA boost
Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has secured European Space Agency support to ramp up infrastructure and testing capabilities at the UK’s SaxaVord spaceport, as the company prepares for the first flight of its RFA One launch vehicle.
Backed by ESA’s Boost! programme, development of RFA One first began in 2022, and now a new contract extension – which is worth €2.7 million – will facilitate preparations for the launch vehicle’s first two flights from SaxaVord.
This ESA Boost! contribution draws on funding from the UK Space Agency and is equalled by investment from RFA.
RFA One is a three-stage orbital launcher, with a height of roughly 30 metres and a width of 2.15 metres. It is engineered to deploy payloads of up to 500 kg into a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit.
The contract extension supports the vital groundwork and testing that must be completed in the run up to RFA’s upcoming Test Flight-1 and the following Test Flight-2.
UK Space Minister Baroness Lloyd said, “This investment in Rocket Factory Augsburg is a strong vote of confidence in the UK’s growing space sector. By supporting launch infrastructure at SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, the government is helping to strengthen the UK’s position as a leading destination for European launch activity. This contract extension demonstrates the momentum building behind the UK’s launch ambitions, and I look forward to seeing RFA One take a major step towards its first flight from British soil.”
You can read the full story about this ESA Boost! contract extension on the space transportation pages of esa.int.