German rocket builder Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has been awarded launch service contracts for two missions under the Flight Ticket Initiative.
The Flight Ticket Initiative is a programme run jointly by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union that provides subsidised launch opportunities for European companies and organisations on small launch vehicles. Under the programme, a pool of pre-selected European launch service providers can compete for specific mission orders, with each contract valued at up to €5 million.
In early 2024, ESA and the European Union pre-selected Arianespace, Isar Aerospace, PLD Space, Orbex, and RFA to form the initiative’s pool of launch service providers. The Arianespace contract has since been transferred to Avio, following the handover of responsibility for the full operation and exploitation of the Vega C rocket.
On 22 January, ESA announced that RFA had been awarded a Flight Ticket Initiative contract, securing launch services for two missions comprising a total of three satellites. ESA awarded the first two Flight Ticket Initiative contracts to Avio and Isar Aerospace in August 2025.
The first of the two missions is a technology demonstrator satellite called Lurbat, carrying a wide range of technology demonstrations spanning propulsion, onboard processing, in-orbit servicing, and materials. The second is a pair of CubeSats built by Indra Space that will carry five experiments selected by the European Commission through its Horizon Europe In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation (IOD/IOV) initiative.
Speaking to European Spaceflight, an RFA spokesperson said that both missions would be launched aboard a single RFA One flight. The spokesperson added that the launch would likely be the rocket’s third flight, following its first two test flights.
With the two additional missions, Rocket Factory Augsburg has now been selected to launch four institutionally contracted missions aboard its RFA One rocket. The first two were awarded under the German Aerospace Center’s (DLR) Microlauncher Competition, which was funded through ESA’s Boost! Programme.
As one of the two winners of the competition’s second and final round, Rocket Factory Augsburg received €11 million and was contracted to launch two payloads of up to 150 kilograms, selected by the German government, across two flights.
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In summary, this means that all the contracts RFA has secured so far have been paid for with tax money. I really hope this company can eventually become self-sufficient and doesn’t turn into yet another government works program.