UK domestic launch milestone as RFA ONE rocket arrives in Scotland

The newly manufactured first stage underwent initial testing at RFA's facilities in Augsburg, Germany, before its transport and arrival at SaxaVord in early February 2026. At the launch site, integration work is now underway to mate the stage with its nine Helix engines. These engines, which power the first stage using a staged-combustion cycle for high efficiency, are in the final phase of acceptance testing at the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) facilities in Kiruna, Sweden.

The arrival of the stages marks a key step forward following a setback in August 2024, when an anomaly during a static fire test of the first stage led to its destruction.

RFA ONE is a two-stage (with plans incorporating elements toward three-stage configurations in future iterations) orbital launch vehicle standing approximately 30 meters tall and two meters in diameter. Designed for affordability and rapid production using industrial techniques and stainless steel structures, it aims to deliver payloads of up to 1,300 kilograms to low Earth orbit.