German micro-launcher Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has obtained a spaceflight operator license from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, paving the way for the first vertical rocket launch from British soil later this year.
The license means the company has cleared all regulatory hurdles for its RFA ONE rocket to launch from the SaxaVord spaceport off the northern coast of Scotland—which is set to be the first orbital vertical rocket launch not just from the UK, but from all of Europe.
“This is a groundbreaking moment for RFA and for Europe’s space industry,” Jörn Spurmann, RFA co-founder and chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “Securing the first-ever launch license outside the European Space Agency’s established site in Kourou is not just a regulatory milestone—it’s a powerful endorsement of our technical excellence and a turning point for European space innovation.”
Origin story: RFA was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from OHB, a space tech conglomerate headquartered in Germany. The company has made rapid progress with its rocket development, quickly becoming a leader in the European micro-launcher competition.
The firm, however, suffered a setback in August when a rocket engine exploded during a hot-fire test at SaxaVord. Despite that, the company says that all is now on track for a debut launch attempt later this year, with only a few major milestones on its to-do list, including building the rocket’s first stage with nine Helix engines and a full hot-fire test.
In the neighborhood: RFA is one of five launchers vying to lift off from SaxaVord. Others include the UK’s Skyrora and Orbex, Germany’s HyImpulse, and a US consortium led by Lockheed Martin.
SaxaVord could support up to 30 launches per year in its current configuration—a number that could grow if the spaceport adds more launch pads. RFA said in a statement it aims to launch as often as once a week.
