The Europeans are Up to Something!

**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Aug 31, 2021 06:00 AM by Yazata.)

Here's a German new-space start up called Rocket Factory Augsburg. They have about 100 employees and are planning a reusable rocket for a first flight in about a year.

It will be a three stage kerosene and LOX rocket and will be about 30 meters tall and two meters in diameter. Presumably only the first stage will be recovered. They hope to be able to launch 1.6 metric tonnes to low earth orbit and about 450 kg to geostationary orbit.

They have already been conducting cryogenic pressure tests of their first stage tanks.

https://twitter.com/rfa_space

RFA artist's conception

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They say that the similarity can't be denied

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**C C** · Sep 1, 2021 07:08 PM

That's the problem with Elon's "open source" approach. Everybody's gets into the act too fast.

**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Jul 19, 2022 04:33 AM by Yazata.)

Rocket Factory Augsburg are still in the game and have been conducting hot-fire tests of their new rocket engine

https://twitter.com/rfa_space/status/154...6533248004

https://twitter.com/rfa_space/status/154...1258750980

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**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Jan 13, 2023 12:34 AM by Yazata.)

Rocket Factory Augsburg is aiming towards their first launch attempt from Saxa Vord at the northern tip of the Shetland Islands, the northernmost point in the UK.

https://www.rfa.space/rocket-factory-aug...spaceport/

They are already constructing their launch site with a test stand for static fires

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**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: Jun 3, 2023 04:59 AM by Yazata.)

RFA just completed a full duration 280 second test-stand burn for their staged-combustion rocket engine.

I still don't know when they hope to launch their rocket. Two years ago it was supposed to be a year away. They seem to have adopted "Elon-time".

I like these guys! Best wishes to them! Europe needs multiple launch providers besides France's Arianespace. Competition is good, particularly if some of the providers have exciting new concepts. Right now, most of that innovative "new space" spirit is in the USA. Come on, Europeans! You can do it!

https://twitter.com/rfa_space/status/166...8928655374

https://www.rfa.space/280-seconds-rfa-co...-duration/

**Yazata** · (This post was last modified: May 1, 2024 03:08 AM by Yazata.)

Rocket Factory Augsburg, the German "new space" company, has shipped one of their first stages to the launch site in the Shetland Islands for hot-fire static testing.

https://twitter.com/rfa_space/status/178...9170346014

And they have already announced plans for a European cargo capsule, for space station supply missions. It's too big to fly aboard their little RFA-One (in the Rocketlab Electron class) and they say that they have a bigger follow-on rocket planned for after this first rocket succeeds.

They call the capsule Argo and here are details:

https://www.rfa.space/ultimate-guide-to-argo/

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nsNS