Rocket Factory
Augsburg’s first launch to take place from SaxaVord
Spaceport
January 11, 2023
Launch service provider Rocket
Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) and SaxaVord Spaceport
have today announced their launch operations
partnership. RFA will have exclusive access to
Launch Pad Fredo for orbital launches, meaning the
company’s first launch of its RFA ONE launch system
– currently planned for the end of 2023 – will take
place from the northernmost point in the UK.
The commercial Spaceport in
Shetland is ideally located for RFA to launch
payloads at high cadence into polar, sun-synchronous
orbits. Existing logistics and infrastructure,
launch readiness, as well as rapid implementation
and matching mentality were key factors why RFA
chose to partner with SaxaVord. With the multi-year
partnership, which includes investments in the
double-digit million pound range, RFA is securing
its first flight launch site in order to be able to
provide its services individually and flexibly to
customer requirements.
The launch pad and launch stool
were fully completed by the end of 2022. The RFA
launch pad is therefore the first for vertical
orbital rocket launches in the UK and mainland
Europe. In the future, the launch pad will not only
be used for orbital launches, but for testing and
qualification of the RFA ONE core stages. These
tests are expected to begin in mid-2023. The first
launch will then be into a 500 km high
sun-synchronous orbit.
Jörn Spurmann, Chief Commercial
Officer at RFA, who visited SaxaVord Spaceport
yesterday, said: “We are super excited to launch our
first flight from SaxaVord. This partnership of
privately financed companies enables the spirit and
speed that we need, to be on top of the commercial
small launch competition.
“The SaxaVord team was
incredibly determined to build our launch pad and
get the operations up and running. We are proud to
be part of this historic event for the UK having
built the first launch pad in mainland Europe. We
firmly believe in the UK’s strategic space vision
and are absolutely convinced that the double-digit
million investment in the site is well placed on our
part.”
SaxaVord Spaceport CEO Frank
Strang said: “We’re delighted to kick off the New
Year by announcing our partnership with RFA. We will
support RFA across the entire lifecycle of a launch,
from facilitating testing, inspections, fuelling and
safety, to supplying MET weather data and access to
our ground station network for data capture and
distribution. The entire team cannot wait to welcome
RFA and work closely as we edge closer to the UK’s
first vertical space launch in Unst.”
The partnership will allow RFA
to launch satellites, the majority of which are
active in two major areas: Earth observation and
communications. The data collected by these
satellites can benefit any industry. Examples of
applications include: Optimization of logistics
routes, early detection of forest fires, Internet of
Things, analysis of ground conditions, maintenance
of infrastructure, collection of health data,
self-driving cars, climate and environmental
protection. In this way, RFA acts as an enabler to
better connect, understand, and protect our Earth.
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