A hot-fire test of Rocket Factory Augsburg’s RFA One ended in explosion at Scotland’s SaxaVord spaceport.
The test was carried out at the Shetland site yesterday before a planned launch later this year but ended abruptly after the first stage exploded.
A spokesperson for the spaceport told The Register that it was “far too soon to tell” when SaxaVord would be able to support another test or launch due to an ongoing investigation.
The RFA One is a three-stage rocket capable of sending up to 1,300 kg to a 500 km Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). Nine Helix engines power the first stage. In May, the company conducted the first hot-fire test of four Helix engines at SaxaVord. Yesterday’s test was one of the last before a launch attempt.
A video of the launch shows a horizontal jet of flame from the base of the rocket before the explosion, implying that one of the Helix engines might have given out during the test.
Rocket Factory Augsburg said there were no injuries and that “the launch pad has been saved and secured,” with any further immediate danger mitigated.
The company added: “We develop iteratively with an emphasis on real testing. This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the risks attached to this approach. Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible.”
A spokesperson for SaxaVord said: “This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage.
“We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations.”
A spokesperson for the UK Space Agency, told The Register:
“As the commercial satellite launch industry continues to grow in the UK, we’ll be seeing an increasing number of rocket engine tests. The priority is always safety and Rocket Factory Augsburg and SaxaVord Spaceport planned extensively for this potential outcome. Developing and proving cutting-edge technology is challenging and an important part of the process is to learn safely. The benefits that space brings – to our society, economy and communities across the country – are more than worth it.”
Last month, RFA announced that it had concluded acceptance testing of the second stage with a more than 400 seconds run time for the HelixVAC engine and shipped the stage off to SaxaVord. A SaxaVord spokesperson told El Reg that only the first stage was involved in the mishap.
An RFA spokesperson asked for patience during the investigation, and confirmed: “The second stage is fully qualified for flight and arrived in SaxaVord a couple weeks ago.”
There is something of a space race developing between European commercial launch providers. Until yesterday, RFA looked set to be the first to attempt an orbital launch. Other upcoming users of SaxaVord include Scotland-based Skyrora.
ABL Space Systems is also set to use the SaxaVord facility. However, its chances of a 2024 UK launch took a knock after a pre-flight static fire test of its RS1 rocket in the US resulted in “irrecoverable damage.” ®