UK Prepares for Europe's First Rocket Launch into Space

SaxaVord Space Center in the Shetland Islands

The UK is preparing for Europe's first rocket launch into space. German rocket manufacturer Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) has become the first company to receive a "space flight operator license," also known as a launch license, from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The license paves the way for the company to complete the test flight of its 30-meter RFA ONE rocket from the SaxaVord Space Center in the Shetland Islands. The company hopes to make the first launch this year. SaxaVord is a repurposed Royal Air Force base and the first spaceport in the UK to receive a license for vertical rocket launches in 2023. However, RFA beat the competition and was the first to receive the launch license required to allow vertical takeoff.