Europe’s RFA ONE Rocket Returned to Hangar After Test Failure

Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) aerospace company was forced to move its first rocket, RFA ONE, back from the test site to the hangar. The decision is set to significantly alter the schedule for the maiden orbital flight of one of Europe’s most promising space projects. According to Ixbt.com, specialists plan to conduct an in-depth investigation into the issue identified in the rocket systems during testing, particularly in its tanks. This is what Ixbt.com reports it.

The incident occurred during tests at the SaxaVord spaceport on Scotland’s Shetland Islands. According to the head of German aerospace company OHB, which owns 65 percent of the company’s shares, engineers needed to carry out additional inspections to fully understand what the test results meant. The exact details of the malfunction have not yet been made public.

Test Window Cancelled and Schedule Changed

Because of the technical issue, the spaceport administration completely cancelled the five-week dedicated launch window scheduled for August and September. Earlier warnings issued by SaxaVord indicated that the first attempt could take place as early as August 10 this year. RFA ONE is expected to become the first rocket in the company’s history to conduct an orbital flight, and it is designed to carry approximately 0.5 tons of payload into orbit.

OHB management said the rocket would be taken back to the test site once the investigation was fully completed. However, no specific new date has been announced, and it remains unclear how long it will take to resolve the problem. According to the initial plans, RFA ONE’s first test flight was scheduled for the end of 2026.

European Space Agency Support and Future Plans

It is worth noting that RFA is one of four companies selected for funding under the European Space Agency’s (ESA) European Launcher Challenge program. Under the program, the company received €187 million, while its initial transaction value was €30 million. Part of this funding is intended to develop the future RFA ONE Block 2 version, whose maiden flight is scheduled for 2028.

The upgraded version is expected to increase payload capacity to 1.5 tons through modernized engines and enable the first stage to be recovered and reused. At the same time, OHB is promoting an initiative to increase the launch frequency of Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 6 rocket. Options for raising its annual number of flights from the current 9–10 to 12, 15 or even 20 are currently being discussed.