“Huge step” for SaxaVord – UK’s first vertical rocket launch finally approved

The go-ahead for first vertical space rocket launch from UK soil has finally been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Published on Thursday, the licence approves Rocket Factory Aubsberg (RFA) to launch 30-metre-tall satellite-bearing rockets from the SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst.

Issued on Tuesday and published this morning (Thursday), the licence approves Rocket Factory Aubsberg (RFA) to launch 30-metre-tall satellite-bearing rockets from the SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst.

The licence is effective immediately, but a number of conditions need to be met before a launch can take place — including insurance arrangements and international agreements. The company is also required to give the CAA 60 days’ notice before launching.

RFA, a German start-up told The Shetland Times they plan for their first “test flight” using the licence this year.

The company first applied for a licence last February.

“This is a fantastic, major milestone for us,” Colin Macleod, the CAA’s head of space exploration told a small, online press conference on Wednesday morning. “It’s a huge step.”

The type of rocket which has been licenced to launch from Unst, called an RFA One, is designed to deliver small satellites into space. 

RFA experienced a setback when part of an RFA One caught aflame at SaxaVord during a fire test in August, but in a statement earlier this year the German start-up said it still expects the rocket’s inaugural launch in 2025.

The licence allows for up to ten launches each year, but no more than two a month, nor more than one in any given 24-hour window.

The news was greeted with excitement by politicians and officials. 

The chief executive of SaxaVord said today is a “significant day” for UK aeronautics and congratulated RFA.

“It is the first time a launch provider has gained approval to vertically launch into space from UK soil. With our own spaceport and range licences already in place we now have the full set of approvals required to launch into orbit.

“This is a historic first and we will be working very closely with RFA throughout the year to help on that first mission from SaxaVord.”

Aviation Minister Mike Kane called it a “landmark moment”, and the CAA’s chief executive, Rob Bishton, said the approval heralded “a new era for aerospace” and “a historic milestone for the nation”.

RFA co-founder Jörn Spurmann said in a statement that the licence represented a “ground-breaking moment”.

“This licence marks Europe’s bold step toward independent, competitive, and sustainable space access,” he added, though the RFA did not respond to questions about when they hope to launch from SaxaVord for the first time.

The CAA’s licensing process considers factors ranging from health and safety for launch staff to national security and mitigating the environmental impact of a space rocket launch.

The regulator will continue to monitor RFA in the build-up to a launch.

RFA was founded in 2018 and says it’s mission is “to build rockets just like cars”.

• Read the full story in this week’s edition of The Shetland Times, out Friday 17th January.

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