ABOVE: RFA and SaxaVord Spaceport first announced their launch operations partnership in January 2023
A section of a test rocket has blown up during a test firing at SaxaVord Spaceport, its manufacturer has confirmed, with the spaceport adding that “all safety protocols were fully observed and the site evacuated prior to the test, meaning no RFA or SaxaVord personnel were at risk”.
The first stage of the rocket belonged to German manufacturer Rocket Factory Ausberg (RFA), which is currently conducting an engine testing programme onsite scheduled to run throughout this summer. The explosion is attributed to an “an anomaly that led to the loss of the stage,” explained RFA in a statement, which added that “the launch pad has been saved and is secured, the situation is under control, and any immediate danger has been mitigated”.
“We develop iteratively with an emphasis on real testing. This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the higher risks attached to this approach,” continued RFA. In a separate statement, the CAA highlighted “incidents like this are anticipated by operators and the regulators and safety exclusion zones are in place to protect people and property”.
Having previously secured Spaceport and Range licenses from the CAA for the Unst, Shetland-based site – ‘designed for small rockets delivering payloads into low earth orbit,’ explains SaxaVord – RFA then intends to be the first to launch an orbital test flight from the spaceport, originally slated for this autumn. The site’s unique location as the northernmost point in the UK is ‘ideally located for RFA to launch payloads at high cadence into polar and sun-synchronous orbits,’ explained RFA on its website.
“Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible,” concluded RFA, adding that it is “now working closely with SaxaVord Spaceport and the authorities to gather data and info to eventually resolve what happened”.
IMAGE: ROCKET FACTORY AUSBERG
