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Rocket Factory Ltd (RFA UK) has received a £3.5 million funding boost for its inaugural satellite launch from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland. The UK Space Agency has awarded the funds as part of the European Space Agency (ESA), Boost! Programme. RFA UK, a subsidiary of Rocket Factory Augsburg AG, will use the funding to develop and operate the infrastructure and test equipment required for launching from the spaceport on the island of Unst.

The company plans to conduct its first orbit launch next year, and it is expected that approximately 90 skilled jobs will be created locally once the spaceport is fully operational. Jörn Spurmann, the managing director of RFA UK and chief commercial officer of RFA AG, expressed enthusiasm for the inaugural launch and stated that it would solidify their position as pioneers in European commercial spaceflight.

The UK Space Agency’s investment in RFA UK is in line with its commitment to making the UK a leading destination for launch activity in Europe. Matt Archer, director of Launch at the UK Space Agency, emphasized that the support will help prepare RFA UK and SaxaVord Spaceport for their first launch, while also contributing to the government’s vision of becoming Europe’s most attractive launch destination by 2030.

This is not the first time that the UK Space Agency has provided support for the venture. In December of last year, the operators of the UK’s first vertical launch spaceport received £378,000 in funding for the development of the site. The agency has also injected £23.4 million into the project through grants to establish launch operations from SaxaVord Spaceport and to build a small launch orbital manoeuvring vehicle.

RFA AG will have exclusive access to SaxaVord’s launch pad and plans to offer regular launch services with the RFA ONE launch vehicle, capable of deploying up to 1,300 kg to a 500 km polar orbit. Scott Hammond, deputy CEO of SaxaVord Spaceport, expressed delight at the funding provided by the UK Space Agency as it helps progress towards launch activities from the spaceport in Unst, which is the country’s first vertical launch site.

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