The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority has granted the first ever vertical launch licence for a rocket heading to space from UK soil to German company Rocket Factory Augsburg.
The launch will see a 30m (100ft) tall RFA One rocket launch northwards from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands.
Jörn Spurmann, co-founder and chief commercial officer of RFA said, “This is a groundbreaking moment for RFA and for Europe’s space industry. Securing the first-ever launch license outside ESA’s established site in Kourou marks Europe’s bold step toward independent, competitive, and sustainable space access.
“By enabling cost-effective and flexible launches from European main land, we are laying the foundation for a new era of space exploration and commercialization, ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of the global space race.
SaxaVord Spaceport became the UK’s first licenced vertical launch spaceport last December, and received their range control licence in April 2024. Since then the CAA has been involved in an extensive programme of monitoring the site.
The licensing process for RFA’s launch looked at a number of key factors. This included how safety is maintained, international obligations are met and environmental mitigations are made for RFA’s proposed mission.
The licence comes with pre-launch conditions, including ensuring international agreements with other countries are in place and that they have valid insurance.
Now RFA has received a launch licence the CAA will continue to monitor the company to ensure public safety is maintained in the build-up to, and during launch.
Rob Bishton, CEO of the UK Civil Aviation Authority said, “This is a new era for aerospace and granting the first vertical launch licence from UK soil builds towards a historic milestone for the nation. “This licence is the culmination of extensive hard work behind the scenes to put appropriate safety and environmental measures in place before launch.
Mike Kane, the UK’s Aviation Minister said, “This is a landmark moment for RFA, SaxaVord and the UK space sector and moves the dial one step closer towards the first commercial vertical space launch in the United Kingdom.”
