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 AG secured its first-flight launch site through the partnership to provide launch services individually and flexibly to customer requirements.
The multi-year partnership secures Rocket Factory Augsburg AG’s first-flight launch site to enable the company to provide launch services individually and flexibly to customer requirements.
Rocket Factory Augsburg’s stated goal is to offer launch services of up to 1,300 kg into low Earth orbit and beyond on a weekly basis.
Rocket Factory Augsburg and the German Aerospace Center selected seven companies with a total payload of 136 kg for the first flight of RFA ONE.
Rocket Factory Augsburg won the April 2022 DLR microlauncher competition and received €11 million in prize money.
The German government is an anchor customer for Rocket Factory Augsburg’s first two flights and purchased 150 kg of payload capacity for each of those flights.
Precious Payload added upcoming Rocket Factory Augsburg launches to its Launch.ctrl commercial launch schedule.
Rocket Factory Augsburg completed the first test campaign of its Helix flight configuration engine in July 2022.
Rocket Factory Augsburg leverages its location in the German automobile manufacturing hub to minimize launch system costs using a serial production and assembly approach.
Rocket Factory Augsburg has signed launch contracts with the German government and about a dozen other customers for launches starting in 2023.
Rocket Factory Augsburg is developing the RFA One launch vehicle and aims to make its first attempt to reach orbit in late 2023.
In mid-2022 Rocket Factory Augsburg fired the Helix engine for the first time for a total duration of 74 seconds, comprising an initial 4-second test followed by two long-duration tests of 30 and 40 seconds.
Precious Payload and Rocket Factory Augsburg agreed on 2022-11-17 to add launches of the RFA One rocket to Precious Payload’s Launch.ctrl marketplace at Space Tech Expo Europe in Bremen, Germany.
The German Aerospace Center provides the basic infrastructure for testing at the Lampoldshausen site while Rocket Factory Augsburg will supply its own test stand and supporting infrastructure.
Planned investments for the Rocket Factory Augsburg test stand and supporting infrastructure at Lampoldshausen are in the single-digit million euro range.
Rocket Factory Augsburg is one of the first New Space companies to be granted the opportunity to test at the Lampoldshausen site.
Rocket Factory Augsburg and the German Aerospace Center will build and operate a dedicated test stand at the DLR site in Lampoldshausen, Germany to test the Helix engine starting in mid-2023.
Rocket Factory Augsburg completed the first test campaign of its Helix flight configuration engine in July 2022.
Rocket Factory Augsburg has signed launch contracts with the German government and about a dozen other customers for launches starting in 2023.
Rocket Factory Augsburg is working towards integrated systems testing of its upper stage and Helix engine as the next step toward a first orbital test flight of the RFA One rocket scheduled to follow at the end of 2023.