There has been much local focus on the SaxaVord Spaceport, not helped by the failure of Orbex, a major potential client. However, SaxaVord now has the RFA ONE rocket on its launch pad. Launch preparations are underway and a test firing of the rocket’s engines scheduled. Rocket factory Augsburg (RFA) says: “We have delivered the […]

UK-based rocket start-up Orbex is appointing administrators, the UK version of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A proposed bail-out from a German based business (The Exploration Company) has failed to materialise. On February 11th, Orbex said it had examined several merger and acquisition options in an effort to stay afloat but none of had come to […]

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted a vertical launch licence to Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), a German rocket company to use the SaxaVord launch site in Scotland. “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,” the […]

Eight spaceports in six countries have signed a joint MoU to work together to address issues in the development and operation of their facilities. The signing took place on the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress held last week in Milan. “This partnership demonstrates our collective commitment to underscore the importance of spaceports, supporting their […]

Scotland’s SaxaVord Spaceport suffered an explosion on August 19th, when Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) conducted a ‘hot fire’ test of its first stage of its rocket. RFA was testing its nine–engine first stage at the Unst, Shetland launch pad when it suffered an anomaly. RFA said no–one was injured in the explosion and the launch […]

Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has sent the first stage of its rocket (RFA-ONE) to its Scottish launch site at SaxaVord in the Shetland Islands in readiness for its first ‘hot fire’ test. The Augsburg, Germany-based aerospace business is very much focussed on building high-performance but low-cost rockets “in order to make space more accessible than […]

The UK’s government is awarding £100 million (€117m) in grants to British-based space organisations in particular focusing on the development of low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites. In addition, it is also granting £10 million to Scotland’s SaxaVord rocket launch site. The intention is to highlight development of on-board data processing, laser optical links for satellite-to-satellite […]

Following on from the granting of permissions by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Scotand’s SaxaVord rocket launch facility has raised an additional £2.25 million in funding and helping to pay contractors who quit the site back in July complaining of unpaid invoices. The CAA permission was crucial and allows SaxaVord to handle 30 launches […]

Scottish spaceport SaxaVord has been licensed to operate rocket launches by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. The site is at Unst on Shetland and is scheduled to host the UK Space Agency’s UK Pathfinder launch, which will be delivered by Lockheed Martin and ABL Systems. SaxaVord has a roster of clients including Rocket Factory Augsburg, […]

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is investing $33 million (€30m) in Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) which is building rockets for launch from Scotland’s SaxaVord spaceport. “The investment will facilitate RFA’s upcoming integrated first stage test and complete the company’s launch pad at SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland, to eventually bring the RFA ONE microlauncher to the launchpad,” said […]