Rocket Factory Augsburg Portugal (RFA Portugal) and CEiiA have completed the main structures of the RFA ONE orbital launcher and shipped them to the launch site in Scotland.
These are, in other words, Fairing (protection structure for satellites during flight), the third stage “Redshift OTV” and the stage separation rings. All of this hardware is now being integrated and prepared on-site at the SaxaVord spaceport for the first test flight in September 2024.
Over the past few years, RFA Portugal – a subsidiary of the German Rocket Factory Augsburg AG – and CEiiA have designed, developed and produced structures for the RFA ONE orbital launcher. With great support from AICEP, low-cost, high-performance carbon fibre structures were built, with an emphasis on operating in line with automotive industry processes and materials.
RFA Portugal and CEiiA are now celebrating this important milestone: the completion of the extensive testing campaign and the shipping of the launcher components produced here to the launch site in Scotland, from where the final test flight will be carried out. The components, namely the Fairing, the “Redshift OTV” third stage structures and the stage separation flanges, are transported by road and ferry to the Shetland Islands. They will be integrated with the rest of RFA ONE and mounted vertically on the launch pad soon. The first test flight of RFA ONE is scheduled for September 2024.
Carlos Valadão, General Director of RFA PT, states: “With the conclusion of our test campaign and the first test flight approaching, we are entering the second phase of our company’s history. Now we want to move to regular production of the tested equipment and develop more Portuguese space technologies and capabilities. With these, Portugal can actively participate in the new space industry and play a role in European and global space exploration.”
RFA PT and CEiiA are, therefore, representative of a growing industry in Portugal and Europe that aims to take space travel to a new level through a private sector approach. With a strong focus on cost-effectiveness, speed and innovation, RFA Portugal and CEiiA will write Portuguese space history this year with the launch of RFA ONE into a 500 km altitude polar orbit.
Rui Magalhães, Director of the Space Unit (Upstream) at CEiiA adds: “The development of such complex structures for the RFA ONE launcher is a remarkable achievement. We are excited to be part of this moment, after years of joint development. This is the largest space structures program ever developed in Portugal. It sets the path for future opportunities in our country’s global launch vehicle market.”
In the coming years, the space sector is expected to continue to evolve rapidly, driven by technological advances such as the reuse of launchers, the miniaturization of satellites and the development of new materials. The commercialization of space, including space tourism and resource exploration, is expected to grow exponentially. Furthermore, international collaboration and public-private partnerships will be crucial to address challenges and promote sustainable and affordable space exploration.
RFA Portugal and RFA AG aim to contribute to this goal by offering flexible and affordable access to space, thus allowing us to obtain space data with which we can better understand, connect and protect our Earth.
About Rocket Factory Augsburg Portugal (RFA PT)
At RFA Portugal, a team of around 20 engineers and space enthusiasts is working on low-cost, high-performance carbon fibre structures for the RFA ONE orbital launch system. RFA Portugal is focused on the research, development, testing and production of structural components such as payload fairing, separation flanges and main structures of the third phase “Redshift OTV”. Production methods and materials were developed and parts were manufactured in close collaboration with CEiiA.
RFA Portugal is located in Maia, Portugal, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of RFA AG.
Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA AG) was founded in 2018 in Germany with the vision of enabling data-generating business models in space to better monitor, protect and connect our planet Earth. In this context, the company’s objective is to offer launch services of up to 1,300 kg into low Earth orbits and beyond, every week, at highly competitive prices. With this, the RFA aims to democratize access to space and reduce launch costs in the space industry. The RFA ONE launch service combines three key competitive advantages: A customer-centric service with precise on-orbit delivery and a high degree of mission flexibility through its Redshift OTV; at a highly competitive price; made possible by superior staged combustion technology, low-cost stainless steel structures and use of industrial components.
About CEiiA
CEiiA is an engineering and product development centre that designs and develops new technologies, products and services for a more sustainable society.
Currently employing more than 500 highly qualified people of different nationalities, CEiiA is involved in numerous complex projects. The Space Unit guides its operations in the upstream and downstream segments, developing technologies, products and services for the New Space market. CEiiA created GEOSAT, one of two European companies operating high-resolution satellites. Currently, CEiiA is developing a new generation of nano and small satellites (up to 200 kg), with its engineering expertise and full assembly, integration and testing capabilities in Portugal, through its newly created company N3O.
In early March 2024, CEiiA made history by launching its first nanosatellite MH-1 into space, the result of a 3-year development program. Leveraging existing competencies in various engineering fields, CEiiA has also been involved in the development of complex structures for the Space sector, from concept to manufacturing, for the small launch vehicle market.
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