The SaxaVord Spaceport spaceport – on the Lamba Ness peninsula site in Unst, in the Shetlands – will be hosting the debut launch.
A spaceport licence and range control licence are already in place for SaxaVord Spaceport. It means all three critical regulatory licences required for a test flight in 2025 are active. Granting responsibilities for the licences lie with CAA.
The award is of historic significance for two reasons. The German startup becomes the first company in Europe to receive such a licence for vertical launches of a privately developed orbital rocket.
It also gives a green light for Scotland to host the first European vertical launch. (Norway’s Andøya Spaceport is a close rival.)
Rocket Factory Augsburg
It means Rocket Factory Augsburg has regulatory approval to launch into space from Scotland. The licence isn’t limited in time and covers a range of orbits and trajectories.
“This is a groundbreaking moment for RFA and for Europe’s space industry,” said Jörn Spurmann, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of RFA. “Securing the first-ever launch licence outside ESA’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.
“This license marks Europe’s bold step toward independent, competitive, and sustainable space access. By enabling cost-effective and flexible launches from European main land, we are laying the foundation for a new era of space exploration and commercialisation, ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of the global space race.”
The site, on the northerly coast of the islands, became the UK’s first licensed vertical launch spaceport in December 2023. Spaceport Cornwall was previously licensed for horizontal launches using rockets from a modified Boeing.
Test flight
The company has been developing a three-stage orbital launch vehicle, the RFA One. The 30m tall rocket will launch northwards from SaxaVord.
Following this licence award, Rocket Factory Augsburg says it will focus on final technical preparations for the first test flight.
It has completed milestones such as flight qualification of the RFA ONE’s second stage. And also of its advanced Redshift orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), and its payload fairing system.
Now it will be building the rocket´s first stage with nine Helix staged-combustion engines. It will be conducting a “full hot fire test” on the launch pad at SaxaVord.
RFA has been partly funded by the UK Space Agency and the ESA Boost programme.
CAA
For its part the Civil Aviation Authority said the licence enables the UK space sector to reach new heights.
“This is a new era for aerospace and granting the first vertical launch licence from UK soil builds towards a historic milestone for the nation,” said Rob Bishton, CEO of the UK CAA.
“This licence is the culmination of extensive hard work behind the scenes to put appropriate safety and environmental measures in place before launch. Through effective licensing and regulation we are enabling the expanding space sector to reach new heights.”
The authority said – since the SaxaVord vertical launch licences – it had been “involved in an extensive programme of monitoring the site”.
UK Space Agency
The UK Space Agency highlights that Europe “strives for greater autonomy and flexibility in space access”. And that SaxaVord will now help meet growing demand for satellite launches:
“This licence approval is a landmark moment, as it signals the start of vertical rocket launches from European soil,” said Matt Archer, UK Space Agency Director of Launch, ISAM, and Space Sustainability.
“The achievement, driven by effective collaboration between RFA, SaxaVord Spaceport, the regulator and government partners, highlights the growing strength of the UK’s launch capabilities and our international relationships. What’s more, ambitious companies like RFA are creating high-skilled jobs, catalysing investment, and inspiring the next generation to see their future in space.”
SaxaVord
It was in January 2023 that Rocket Factory Augsburg chose the SaxaVord to be the location for its first launch.
Under the terms of the deal, RFA has exclusive access to Launch Pad Fredo for orbital launches. It also included “investments in the double-digit million pound range”.
SaxaVord has already begun developing an advanced satellite payload processing facility (PPF). It is collaborating with space engineering safety specialist Plastron UK.
Image: RFA One rocket
See also: Civil Aviation Authority flags work with Glasgow’s Skyrora for space launches
