A spacecraft company has said it will return to regular operations “as soon as possible” after one of its rocket engines exploded on the launchpad during a test.
The test was being carried out by German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) who hope to eventually launch the UK's first vertical rocket into orbit.
The scheduled nine-engine test was part of a number of trials due to be carried out before progressing to launch.
RFA said no-one was injured in the explosion and the launch pad had been "saved and is secured".
The BBC posted the video of RFA's First Stage anomaly 🚨 pic.twitter.com/z8wTqfCqHH
— Space Voyaging (@SpaceVoyaging) August 19, 2024
A spokesperson for RFA said: “On Monday evening, RFA (Rocket Factory Augsburg) conducted a hot fire of its first stage at their launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport.
“This resulted in an anomaly that led to the loss of the stage. No-one was injured in the process.
“The launch pad has been saved and is secured, the situation is under control, and any immediate danger has been mitigated.”
RFA says it is now working with the spaceport and the authorities to find out what led to the incident.
As it has done throughout the test campaign, SaxaVord Spaceport will support its client RFA in its investigations following Monday's stage loss.
— SaxaVord Spaceport UK (@SaxaVord_Space) August 19, 2024
All safety protocols were fully observed and the site evacuated prior to the test, meaning no RFA or SaxaVord personnel were at risk. https://t.co/5q1NrkLSId
The RFA spokesperson added: “We develop iteratively with an emphasis on real testing.
“This is part of our philosophy and we were aware of the higher risks attached to this approach. Our goal is to return to regular operations as soon as possible.
“We will keep you updated on our channels. Until them we kindly ask for your patience.”
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A spokesperson for SaxaVord said: “This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues prior to the next stage.
“We will work with RFA to understand and learn from the causes and support them as they move forward to the next phase of their preparations.”
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