OHB spin‑off working on the three‑stage RFA ONE small launcher.
Overview Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is a German launch company developing the three‑stage RFA One small‑lift rocket and related orbital‑transfer services. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Augsburg, Germany, RFA targets low‑cost, frequent access to Sun‑synchronous and polar low Earth orbits from Europe. The company’s primary launch site is SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands, United Kingdom, where RFA holds a UK spaceflight operator licence for missions planned from 2025. Launch Vehicle • RFA One: A 30‑m‑tall, 2‑m‑diameter, three‑stage launch vehicle designed for dedicated and rideshare missions. The first stage uses nine Helix LOX/RP‑1 engines; the second stage uses a vacuum‑optimized Helix. The vehicle includes an orbital stage for precise orbit insertion and multi‑burn maneuvers. • Helix engine: Oxygen‑rich staged‑combustion kerosene/LOX engine, ~100 kN thrust at sea level (≈325 s Isp SL / ≈350 s Isp Vac). • Performance: Up to ~1,300 kg to a 500‑km Sun‑synchronous orbit (representative configuration), with additional options to higher‑energy orbits via the orbital stage. • Test heritage: RFA completed a full‑duration (280 s) hot‑fire of the integrated upper stage in 2023 and conducted stage‑level hot‑fire campaigns at SaxaVord in 2024. Following an August 2024 static‑fire anomaly that damaged the first‑stage article and stand, the company rebuilt flight hardware and is targeting a first launch from SaxaVord in 2025. Launch Sites and Infrastructure • SaxaVord Spaceport (Unst, Shetland): RFA’s exclusive pad supports vertical orbital launches to polar/SSO. SaxaVord holds the UK spaceport and range licences; RFA holds the UK spaceflight operator licence authorizing missions of RFA One from the site. • Esrange Space Center (Kiruna, Sweden): RFA operates an engine and stage test complex where the upper‑stage full‑duration testing was completed. • Production & integration: Serial manufacturing, tank and structure proofing, engine assembly, and vehicle integration are centered in Augsburg, with additional partner sites in Europe. Services and Pricing • Dedicated and rideshare launches with standardized ports and a configurable payload platform. Historical materials list an advertised starting price point on the order of €3 million per launch, subject to mission configuration and services. • Orbital transfer: The “Redshift” orbital stage provides multi‑burn capability for delivery to diverse orbits (e.g., higher‑inclination and higher‑energy drop‑offs) and hosted‑payload options. Programs, Customers, and Awards • Institutional anchor: Winner of the 2022 DLR Microlauncher competition; includes carriage of up to 150 kg of institutional payloads across RFA One’s first two flights. • UK regulatory milestone: UK Civil Aviation Authority granted RFA a spaceflight operator licence in January 2025, clearing the regulatory path for launches from SaxaVord alongside the spaceport and range licences. • European initiatives: Preselected by ESA in July 2025 for the European Launcher Challenge, aimed at accelerating European small‑launch capability. • Commercial backlog: RFA has signed multiple launch service agreements and rideshare aggregations for early missions, with a manifest focused on Earth‑observation and technology‑demonstration payloads. Status and Outlook RFA is preparing for its inaugural RFA One launch from SaxaVord with a goal of establishing Europe’s first routine, vertical orbital launch capability from European soil. Near‑term priorities include completing first‑stage qualification and pad recovery at SaxaVord, conducting mission readiness campaigns under UK licensing, and scaling serial production to support commercial cadence after initial demonstration flights.