Rocket Factory Augsburg

What they do

Rocket Factory Augsburg is building a small orbital launcher for satellite operators who want a dedicated ride rather than a shared seat on a large rocket. RFA ONE is a three-stage vehicle burning kerosene and liquid oxygen. Nine Helix engines power the first stage, a vacuum-optimised Helix drives the second, and the third stage, Redshift, doubles as an orbital transfer vehicle that can place several satellites into different orbits.

Why it matters

Europe lost much of its independent access to space when Ariane 5 retired and Vega faced setbacks, and it has turned to a new generation of commercial launchers to close the gap. RFA is one of the companies selected under the European Space Agency's European Launcher Challenge, which funds providers as they hit milestones. Its pitch is cost: the company borrows components and production methods from industry, including automotive and steel processing, rather than building everything to bespoke aerospace standards.

The road has been bumpy. A first stage was destroyed during a static fire test at SaxaVord in August 2024, and a launch campaign in summer 2026 was paused after an issue with the vehicle on the pad. In October 2026 RFA appointed Alexander Dahm, previously chief operating officer of HENSOLDT Sensors, as chief executive. As of November 2026, the maiden flight has not yet taken place.

Products to know

• RFA ONE: the three-stage small launcher for polar and sun-synchronous orbits.
• Helix: the staged-combustion engine that powers the first and second stages.
• Redshift: the relightable upper stage and orbital transfer vehicle.

The German angle

RFA was founded in August 2018 as a spin-off of OHB, the Bremen space group, which remains its parent. It is based in Augsburg, a manufacturing city with long aerospace roots, and its supply chain leans heavily on German engineering firms. The decision to launch from Shetland rather than from mainland Europe reflects geography: northern Scotland offers safe trajectories over the sea to polar orbits. Whether RFA reaches orbit will be an important test of Germany's ambition to field its own launch capability.