The company secures a vertical rocket launch license

A company behind a rocket engine that exploded during a test at Britain’s new spaceport in Shetland could still be the first in Europe to carry out vertical launches into orbit.

The German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has been awarded the first Launch Operator License allowing it to launch rockets from the SaxaVord Spaceport.

The license, granted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), allows the RFA to launch up to ten rockets a year into space carrying a variety of small satellites and other payloads.

The RFA described the licence, the first of its kind to be awarded in Europe, as a “groundbreaking moment”.

Rob Bishton, of the CAA, said: “This is a new era for space travel and the award of the first vertical launch license from UK soil builds towards a historic milestone for the nation.

“This license is the culmination of extensive hard work behind the scenes to put appropriate safety and environmental measures in place prior to launch.”

SaxaVord Spaceport already has all the licenses it needs to operate and eventually hopes to launch up to 30 rockets a year.

A further six rocket companies plan to launch from the Shetland area, but the RFA is furthest along in their planning.

Their first test flight is already fully booked with seven German companies already committed to putting their valuable payload on board.

The British company, Orbex, recently announced that it had moved its launch schedule from Sutherland Spaceport in northwest Scotland to SaxaVord Spaceport.

Another German company, HyImpulse, hopes to send its own vehicle into orbit from the Unst site.

The Scottish company, Skyrora, is also awaiting approval of its own Launch Operator License from the CAA.

If granted, it plans to launch its Skylark L vehicle from Shetland in late 2025 or early 2026, with up to 16 launches a year after that.

Jörn Spurmann, co-founder of the RFA, said: “This is a groundbreaking moment for the RFA and for Europe’s space industry.

“Securing the first ever launch license outside ESA’s established site in Kourou is a strong endorsement of our technical expertise and a turning point for European space innovation.

“This license marks Europe’s bold step towards independent, competitive and sustainable access to space.

“By enabling cost-effective and flexible launches from mainland Europe, we are laying the foundations for a new era of space exploration and commercialisation, ensuring that Europe remains at the forefront of the global space race.”

The RFA is confident that the first test flight of the 30m RFA ONE rocket will take place in 2025.

Spurmann told BBC Scotland News that he was realistic about the first rocket going into orbit.

He added: “The first launch is a test flight. Let’s see how far we can take it.

“The statistics worldwide are very much against us, but let’s see how far we can go.”

The rocket will take off from Launch Pad 1 ‘Fredo’ at the SaxaVord site.

It will then travel northwest, beyond the Norwegian Sea and the North Pole, before hopefully orbiting around 500 km above the Earth’s surface.

A Launch Exclusion Zone (LEZ) will be implemented around Shetland during the launch window and restrictions on any aircraft or shipping within the area.

After launch, the first and second stages of each rocket will separate and fall away once the fuel has been used, allowing the third stage to continue with the valuable payload.

Unlike Elon Musk’s Starship rocket although the rocket’s fuel sections will not be reused.

Instead, the first and second stages will fall back into the ocean and sink to the bottom to form an artificial reef and serve as a habitat for marine life.

Last year, during a test known as a hot fire, an RFA engine exploded at the SaxaVord site, resulting in some damage to the launch pad and completely destroying the engine.

A new ‘hot-fire’ test of the nine-engined Helix must be carried out on the launch pad before the launch is cleared.

The rest of the three-stage RFA ONE rocket is already in the final stages of completion in Augsburg, Germany and will be assembled in Shetland over the coming months.