Rocket explodes at Shetland spaceport during launch test

A spacecraft company has said it will return to regular operations “as soon as possible” after one of its vessels exploded during a test.

On Monday at 9.42pm, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) announced one of its spacecraft had been launched as part of a test at SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Isles, but an “anomaly” led to “the loss of the stage”.

Nobody was injured during the incident.

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.

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 then we kindly ask for your patience.”

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.”