RFA Ready To GO! First UK Launch CLOSE! [8:23]

YouTube transcript reformatted at textformatter.ai *may* follow.

[Flashback: On August 19, 2024, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) experienced a catastrophic failure during a hot fire test of the RFA ONE first stage at the SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland, resulting in the total loss of the vehicle.]
RUD - RFA Rocket Anomaly During Static Fire Test | 1:41
The Launch Pad | 766K subscribers | 15,312 views | August 23, 2024

Transcript

All right, lift off and the clock has started. It’s been two long years since rocket factory Auxburg last graced the launchpad at Saxavord Spaceport in Shetland. But at long last, they are back and we are finally ready to witness history. How did they get here and what’s to come? Stick around and let’s find out.

Hey everyone, I’m Tom June and welcome to UK Space News. It was August of 2024, the last time that RFA1 stood atop the launchpad at Saxavord. Back then, the launchpad was incomplete, but RFA were there to carry out a hot fire test ahead of the proposed maiden launch of the RFA1. By now, you’ll all have seen the videos of the explosion that rocked everyone and destroyed the rocket. An anomaly during a test of multiple engines caused the first stage to be lost entirely and engulfed the pad in a fireball of epic proportions.

Luckily, the infrastructure mostly survived and no one on the ground was hurt, but RFA were forced back to their HQ in Auxburg, Germany, to redesign their helix engines and build a whole new first stage. The second and third stages were mothballed. And after a year of construction efforts, the next first stage and nine brand new helix engines underwent more testing across their estate for flight readiness. A few months ago, everything was delivered back to Saxavord for integration and the launch tower was completed with a service tower itself now standing proudly above the UN coastline overlooking the North Sea. From there, the integration hangar was completed and the whole rocket came together to stand as one on the launchpad on July the 20th, 2026. Now, the next crucial stage in RFA’s preparation is about to begin.

Hot fire tests will take place to ensure there are no issues with engine startup and launch procedures. As with last time, expect everything from single engine lighting to a full-faced launch rundown with all engines lighting under launch conditions. This is obviously necessary to make sure that everything works as one piece. All of the individual components have undergone testing over the past few years at the various testing facilities.

But now, as the RFA1 stands for the very first time as a complete rocket on the launchpad, launchpad Fredo at Saxavord, it is more crucial now than ever that everything works as intended. Obviously, we don’t want a repeat of August 2024, but something tells me after a couple more years of German engineering, things are going to go a lot more different this time. Then, if all goes well, it’s the big one, the launch itself. From August the 10th, the first launch window will open, and this lasts for 5 weeks.

Launches can occur anytime on a Monday, a Wednesday, or a Friday between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. local time. Now, for all you that want to head up to Shetland to watch this launch live, well, Saxavord say there is a viewing area. However, spaces are extremely limited if already unavailable. They’ll mostly be taken up by the mainstream media. And for obvious reasons, following the hot fire test failure in August 2024, they want to mitigate against the number of people attending the site to watch this launch. For yours truly, that means it’s more likely that I will be live streaming this online with all of you guys there as opposed to being there in person for this one. But the next one, that’s a different story altogether.

Now, obviously 5 weeks is a long window, but Saxavord have said that they will provide ample time and warning to give you guys an idea of when launch can be expected. Stay tuned to my social channels for further updates as well as from Saxavord and RFA themselves. Now, the RFA1 will carry seven payloads by real-life paying customers for this launch and heading to low Earth orbit.

After years of blood, sweat, and tears, as well as a few flames, finally a rocket will have lifted off from the UK from Scotland carrying real payloads. We think of the late Frank Strang and of course of Debbie Strang and Scott Hammond as well as everybody across the Saxavord and RFA teams who have made this happen. For longtime followers of this channel, you will know that RFA themselves stumped up the cash to build the launch tower on Launchpad Fredo at Saxavord. And what started as almost a pipe dream when Debbie and Frank bought a piece of land at the furthest point in the UK, this will have turned into the most incredible act of fruition. The UK finally launching rockets from its own soil. We think back to the Blue Streak and Black Arrow rockets, those which had so much potential but were ultimately wasted by the governments of the time. We think of the UK contributions to space flight since then. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll be able to finally claim a place amongst those already who have been doing this for so many years. Destiny awaits. And all I can say is good luck RFA and Godspeed the RFA1.

But that’s not all because High Impulse, remember them? They are also ready to carry out their next launch of the SR75 sanding rocket. But this will be the first launch from Saxavord. So, we don’t just have one launch coming up. We have two to look forward to before the year is out. If Skyura can also make it to the pad, then this will have been the most incredible year in the history of UK spaceflight. I’ve got my fingers crossed for all of them and I can’t wait to see it. I hope you guys out there will join me as I cover these launches live.

Now, not only that, but myself and the Aussie, not Josh Keegan, as well as our good friend Jim Cland, recently sat down for a chat to interview Josh about his recent adventures covering another rocket launch in Australia. If you’ve not seen the video already, then please head over and check that out. But not only that, if you’ve not seen it, you’ll have missed the announcement because the three of us are starting a podcast. Yeah, you heard that right. We’re doing what just about everyone else is doing.

But hey, we are nothing if not three mates that love to chat about space. And we’re just going to do it on the regular this time. Maybe with a few drinks in there as well. Stay tuned to all of our social channels as well as this channel right here. And if you haven’t already, hit that like button, hit that subscribe button, and stay tuned to notifications for further info. It will be dropping wherever you get your podcasts from, and it’s going to be great. So check that out. Now for people that maybe also haven’t been following this channel, then if you want to catch up on all of the news about RFA, Saxavord, High Impulse, Skyura, and everything else going on in the UK right now, then please subscribe to the channel and check out previous videos for all the information on this fantastic endeavor that you could possibly want.

Well, that’ll about do it for now, but again, follow along on my social channels for further updates as we await this historic launch finally occurring. We’ll follow along as we have done for the past few years, and I look forward to bringing you live coverage of the launch very soon. Thank you so much for watching. I’ve been Tom June, and I’ll see you next time.

Are they going for polar orbit? Otherwise, the launch location doesn’t make much sense.

I wondered about that. Dunno. Found a nice shot of the launch site though.

Space / First SaxaVord rocket launch could take place in August
Shetland News
7 July 2026
https://www.shetnews.co.uk/2026/07/07/first-saxavord-rocket-launch-take/
https://www.shetnews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/dji_20260407120241_0017_d-copy-2.jpg

Scotland is launching a rocket?????

Germans.

Later they put us on the Moon.

Later they put us on the Moon.

Indeed they did. Certainly much better "migrants" than the useless ones we seem to be currently importing.

Definitely.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-2_No._13