RFA One
A small rocket burning kerosene and liquid oxygen, designed to carry up to 1,300 kg to a 500 km sun-synchronous orbit, with a third stage that can drop satellites into different orbits. Its first flight was on hold as of late July 2026.
Why it matters
RFA One is one of a handful of new European small launchers and would fly from SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, Scotland. ESA has backed it with a conditional contract, so a working rocket would add to Europe's own launch supply.
How the technology works
The first stage uses a cluster of nine Helix staged-combustion engines burning a kerosene (RP-1) fuel with liquid oxygen. A second stage pushes the payload toward orbit, and a third stage called Redshift acts as an orbital transfer vehicle that can place satellites in different orbits.
Stages are built in Augsburg and engines are tested in Sweden.
Sources
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · How we source facts · Suggest a correction