Continued UK support for RFA ONE: we've received €2.7M from the @spacegovuk through the @esa Boost! programme. The funding backs preparations for our first test flight at @SaxaVord_Space and new engine and stage test capabilities in the UK. #RFAONE# #ESAboost# #UKSpace# #NewSpace#

Big milestone: Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has signed a contract with @esa as part of the European Launcher Challenge (ELC). A major step toward a competitive and sovereign European launch capability, powered by our RFA ONE launch vehicle. 🚀 Huge thanks to @esa, @DLR_de, and Minister @DoroBaer for your trust, support, and encouragement. We couldn't have done it without you! #NewSpace# #ESA ##EuropeanLauncherChallenge#

After a successful week of testing RFA ONE on the pad for the first time, we encountered an issue with the vehicle that requires further investigation. We have made the decision to de-stack the vehicle in order to investigate. We will provide further updates as soon as confirmed information is available.

🚀 A major milestone on the road to RFA ONE’s orbital test flight! We have delivered the first and second stages of our RFA ONE launch vehicle to @SaxaVord_Space in Scotland. This marks an important step as we move toward our first orbital launch, currently planned for summer 2026. Over the past 18 months, our teams have advanced the development of both stages, with improvements to the Helix engine, tank pressurization systems, and operating procedures. The causes of the incident during a hot fire test in August 2024 have been fully understood and resolved. The newly built first stage was tested in Augsburg and has arrived in early February at the launch site, where it will be integrated with its nine Helix engines, currently undergoing final acceptance testing at @SSCspace, Sweden. Our second stage, following a successful hot fire test campaign at Esrange Space Center, has now also safely arrived at SaxaVord and is undergoing final checks. There is still work ahead, but reaching this point is a significant achievement for the entire team. With both stages now at the spaceport, the next phase begins: vehicle integration and stage testing ahead of the first launch campaign this summer! Learn more in our press release ▶️

Technical Update! The past few weeks and months have been very busy at RFA. Everything is being prepared for the next first stage hot fire, and great progress has been made on our launch pad and at @SaxaVord_Space. Let´s take a closer look: 🔹Most visible and impressive: the umbilical tower is up. 52m high from the ground, fully equipped with clamps to stabilize and fuel our RFA ONE. The rest of the launch pad has also been completed – only the water tanks for the water deluge system will be added. We have begun commissioning the launch pad for the first test flight and expect to conduct some important tests on the pad in the coming weeks! 🔹The launch control centre is complete and fully equipped. It consists of the Mission Control Centre (MCC) and the Range Control Centre (RCC). From here, about 5 km from the launch site, the team will conduct and monitor the launch. 🔹SaxaVord Spaceport has completed its AIT hangar and we were welcomed to move in. This is a multifunctional hall for assembly, integration and testing (AIT) that we will use for the final work and integration of the rocket stages. There is also a clean room for our customers, which provides them with optimal conditions on site and access to their payloads for as long as possible. In short: everything is more ready than ever to receive a new first stage... 🚀

Avionics is where hardware, software, and flight dynamics converge 🚀 Meet Ikem, part of the team building the flight computers and electronics stack that powers RFA ONE. From guidance and navigation to high-rate telemetry and vehicle health monitoring, avionics turns sensor data into split-second decisions and actions during flight. If RFA ONE ignites, lifts off, steers, stages, and talks to the ground stations, Team Avionics is behind it. Learn more about their work in our new video ⬇️

Adrian Adrian. He does not only have the same first and last name. He is also our Technical Lead of Engine Assembly and brings our Helix engines to life. From small individual parts to fully assembled powerhouses for RFA ONE, the journey to ignition is intense 🔥 In the video, he shares his story and what it's like to work at RFA. Building history instead of just watching it unfold. For him, the roar of the engines is the greatest reward, but right after that? It’s time to work on the next ones. Because it takes many Helix engines to achieve the goal of flexible, regular and independent access to space for Europe 🚀 We are growing quickly and are looking for people who share our curiosity, passion and drive in the areas of development, production, assembly and testing! ➡️ Check out our open roles and join us: Engine Assembly Technician 🔗 Electrician (Sweden) 🔗 Avionics AIT Technician 🔗 Manufacturing Engineer 🔗 Welder 🔗