Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), founded in 2018, is a German NewSpace company focused on providing affordable and flexible launch services for small satellites. As a launch provider, RFA is currently developing its RFA One rocket, designed for low-Earth orbit missions and aiming to reduce launch costs by using standard industrial components and efficient production technologies. RFA's partners include companies like Conflux Technology and launch sites such as SaxaVord Spaceport, with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as a customer. Key activities include rocket development, engine testing, and securing launch facilities to offer comprehensive space deployment services.
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Rocket Factory Augsburg is targeting a first launch attempt of its RFA ONE microlauncher from SaxaVord in 2024-04-01.
Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg are developing small launch vehicles with first flights that could take place before the end of the year.
German launch vehicle developer Rocket Factory Augsburg reached an agreement with CNES on 2023-06-21 to use the Diamant site.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG signed a binding term sheet with the French space agency CNES to offer launch services from the Kourou Space Center (CSG) in French Guiana.
Rocket Factory Augsburg’s available orbit portfolio from Kourou includes low-inclination and high-energy trajectories such as GTO, MEO, GEO, lunar, and interplanetary mission profiles.
Access to the Kourou Space Center enables Rocket Factory Augsburg to offer customers all orbital inclinations from equatorial to polar.
Rocket Factory Augsburg completed the first European upper stage hot-fire test of its kind in May 2023.
Rocket Factory Augsburg will launch from the ELM-Diamant launch complex at CSG in 2025.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG signed a binding term sheet with the French space agency CNES to offer RFA’s launch services from the Kourou Space Center (CSG) in French Guiana.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) successfully hot-fired its upper stage for a full duration of 280 seconds.
In July 2021 Rocket Factory Augsburg AG became the first company in the European Union to develop and test a staged-combustion engine with a successful eight-second hot fire test.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG successfully hot fired its upper stage for a full duration of 280 seconds, completing the Integrated System Test (IST) campaign.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG was the third commercial company in the world to successfully test a staged-combustion rocket engine on a large scale after its July 2021 eight-second test.
Rocket Factory Augsburg is developing the RFA One rocket designed to place up to 1,300 kg into sun-synchronous orbit with a first launch planned from SaxaVord as soon as the end of 2023.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG will use the SaxaVord site to launch payloads at high cadence into polar and sun-synchronous orbits.
SaxaVord Spaceport will support Rocket Factory Augsburg AG across the entire lifecycle of a launch, including facilitating testing, inspections, fueling, safety, supplying MET weather data, and providing access to its ground station network for data capture and distribution.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG plans to conduct the first launch of its RFA ONE launch system from the northernmost point in the UK at the end of 2023.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG’s first launch from SaxaVord will target a 500 km high sun-synchronous orbit.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG’s first launch of its RFA ONE launch system is currently planned for the end of 2023 and will take place from the northernmost point in the UK.
SaxaVord Spaceport will support Rocket Factory Augsburg AG across the entire lifecycle of a launch, including testing, inspections, fueling, safety, supplying meteorological weather data, and providing access to its ground station network for data capture and distribution.