Oxygen fire in a turbopump causes rocket engine explosion at SaxaVord Spaceport, delaying RFA One launch.

An oxygen fire in a turbopump has caused a rocket engine explosion at the SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, delaying the first vertical satellite launch from European soil by Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA). The explosion during a test destroyed the first stage of the RFA One rocket, making a replacement from Germany necessary, and launching within the next few weeks or months is no longer possible. No major parts of the launch site infrastructure were damaged, and RFA remains confident in their engine design.

August 23, 2024
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