Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is investigating an issue with its RFA One rocket at SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst, Scotland. The company has decided to de-stack the 30-metre-tall vehicle, meaning the three stages will be separated to resolve the problem.
Issue prompts de-stacking
If launched successfully, RFA One would be the first rocket to carry satellites into space from UK soil. A certified launch window is due to open on August 10, and the company had hoped to begin hot fire testing of the rocket engines in the days ahead.
The three-stage rocket is designed to deliver a payload of up to 1,300kg to a sun-synchronous orbit around Earth.
Company statement
A spokesperson for RFA said: “After a successful week of our test campaign pressuring the flight vehicle for the first time in preparation for the hot fire test of RFA One, an issue was encountered with the vehicle. We have made the decision to de-stack the vehicle in order to investigate and take corrective action where required. We will provide further updates as soon as confirmed information is available.”
SaxaVord Spaceport said in a statement: “As ever, we’re working hard to support our client RFS on the launch site.”
Previous incident
A previous version of RFA’s rocket suffered an engine fire which led to an explosion during a test at SaxaVord in August 2024.
