The UK's potential first vertical space rocket launch has received £3.5 million of funding from the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency, bolstering its role in the emerging commercial space sector.
Rocket Factory Ltd, the UK-based arm of German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), will channel the funds into developing infrastructure for its maiden flight from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland’s Shetland Islands.
The UK Space Agency said the funding should enable the launch from SaxaVord in the second quarter of next 2024.
Earlier this year, SaxaVord and RFA inked a multi-year launch partnership for exclusive access to its Fredo launch pad for orbital launches, though the first launch of its RFA One rocket was planned for the end of 2023.
Construction at SaxaVord was halted in August, but the spaceport quickly assured that the “overall project is firmly on track” and that it “continues to have excellent dialogue with the authorities and is fully expecting to receive its spaceport licence very soon from the Civil Aviation Authority”.
Last month, the UK government proposed streamlining space regulations and adapting charges for satellite launches, amid criticism for being too slow-moving.
Rocket Factory UK also still awaits approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority to launch orbital missions, suggesting the regulatory environment is currently the final frontier for the UK’s space ambitions.