The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued Rocket Factory Augsburg with a vertical launch licence to conduct the inaugural flight of its RFA ONE rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland.
RFA is developing a three-stage rocket called RFA ONE, designed to deliver payloads of up to 1,300 kilograms to low Earth orbit. In 2024, the company was close to attempting the rocket’s inaugural flight. However, a fire during testing destroyed the rocket’s first stage, forcing the company to build a replacement before proceeding with the initial launch attempt. RFA is currently targeting 2025 to complete the rocket’s first flight.
As the company prepares for the rocket’s debut, the CAA announced on 16 January that it had granted a vertical launch licence for the flight. According to an RFA press release, the licence is “not limited in time and covers a wide range of orbits and trajectories.”
“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, CAA CEO. “This licence is the culmination of extensive hard work behind the scenes to put appropriate safety and environmental measures in place before launch.”
Before RFA can proceed with launching its RFA ONE rocket, the CAA will require the company to meet several conditions, including securing international agreements with other countries and obtaining valid insurance.
According to the CAA press release, this is the “first-ever vertical launch licence for a rocket heading to space,” though the claim includes a fair number of qualifiers. In reality, this is the third licence issued by the CAA. The first was for Virgin Orbit’s ill-fated launch just before the company went bankrupt, which was a horizontal launch licence. The second licence was issued to HyImpulse for the inaugural flight of its SR75 rocket from SaxaVord. However, HyImpulse ultimately didn’t use the licence as the launch was relocated to Australia. While this was a vertical launch licence, it wasn’t for “a rocket heading to space,” as the SR75 flight was limited to well below the Kármán line.
