The first “flawless” test of rocket engines at a spaceport in the Shetland Islands has successfully marked a new milestone for the project.
German-based Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) said on Monday that the first stage of its hot-fire test campaign at SaxaVord Spaceport had “run without issue”.
The company said it demonstrated it can operate the necessary systems as it prepares for its first test flight.
To successfully launch into orbit, Helix engines are required to break from earth’s gravity, and they are tested in advance by being ignited one by one at four second intervals.
A total of four engines ran simultaneously for eight seconds with a total hot-fire duration of 20 seconds.
RFAThe manufacturer said the test ran “flawlessly” through start-up, steady-state and shutdown.
“With this hot fire, we were able to demonstrate that we can nominally operate and control our first stage and all its systems, as well as a cluster of Helix engines”, it said.
It comes after SaxaVord Spaceport was granted a “range licence” in April, which will allow the company to control the sea and airspace during launch.
Rocket Factory Augsburg could be the first to launch an orbital mission from Shetland by the end of the year.
RFAFollow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
