German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg has taken a step towards a first launch by gaining a first-ever license to vertically launch an orbital rocket from mainland Europe.
Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is working towards a first launch of its RFA ONE rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport on the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland. Being issued a spaceflight operator license by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is a major administrative step towards reaching orbit. It is also a major first for the European mainland, as the continent’s launch sector enters a new era of commercialization.
“This is a groundbreaking moment for RFA and for Europe’s space industry,” Jörn Spurmann, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of RFA, said in a statement. “Securing the first-ever launch license 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,” Spurmann said.
“This license 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.
The license allows RFA to launch up to 10 times per calendar year, and no more than two launches within a month. The CAA licensing process emphasizes public safety and environmental impact, conducting several tests and assessing safety cases. An increase in launch cadence would require a new assessment.
RFA Is now training its sights on the final technical preparations for the first test flight. The company reached the point of performing a static-fire test of the RFA ONE rocket first stage at SaxaVord Spaceport in August last year, but the test ended in a dramatic explosion, ending plans of a first flight in 2024. Now, the company appears on track for a launch in 2025.
Images from Rocket Factory Augsburg’s first hot fire test of its Helix engine, Europe’s first commercial staged combustion engine. (Image credit: Rocket Factory Augsburg via Twitter)
The company is now focused on building the RFA ONE rocket’s first stage with nine Helix staged-combustion engines, and then conducting a full hot fire test on the launch pad at SaxaVord Spaceport, Scotland. All other systems, including the second stage, third stage (the Redshift orbital transfer vehicle) and the fairing are already flight qualified.
RFA did not provide a timeline for its planned first launch. Under the licence, RFA would need to inform the CAA of its plans to launch 60 days ahead of the event.
The company is one of a number of launch startups in Europe looking to launch their first orbital rockets. Others include Isar Aerospace and Hyimpulse, also from Germany, PLD Space of Spain, and Orbex and Skyrora from the United Kingdom.
A CAA official told media during a briefing on the license and licensing process that the authority is currently assessing applicants for licenses for seven different launch companies, which could not be named.
SaxaVord is not the only spaceport located in the European mainland looking to host launches, with Norway’s Andøya Spaceport and Sweden’s Esrange Arctic spaceport also attracting launch partners.
While the above are catering to vertical orbital launches, the UK hosted a “horizontal” launch, when the now-defunct Virgin Orbit launched a LauncherOne rocket using its Cosmic Girl carrier plane, which took off from Spaceport Cornwall in January 2023. That launch suffered an anomaly and ended in failure.
The issuing of a launch license indicates growth in the European commercial space industry, and the development highlights innovation and competition in the sector.
