Rocket engine explodes during testing at UK’s SaxaVord Spaceport

A rocket engine exploded during the launch test conducted by a German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) at the UK’s new spaceport in Shetland.

The company conducted the test hoping to launch the UK’s first vertical rocket into orbit. The incident occurred on Monday at a scheduled nine-engine test at SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst. The test was a part of the trials to be conducted before the launch.

RFA informed that the launch pad had been saved and secured. The situation is under control with no injuries. It further said that the Spaceport and authorities are working to find the cause of the failure.

Large flames and plumes of smoke shot horizontally from the bottom of the rocket before the entire structure got engulfed by fire.

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The incident occurred three months after the first successful rocket test at the site. RFA fired engines for eight seconds before shutting them down. The SaxaVord Spaceport received approval from the Civil Aviation Authority in December 2023 for orbital launches. They are allowed to perform 30 launches a year. It expects to become the first fully-licensed spaceport of Western Europe permitted to launch vertically into orbit.

SaxaVord Spaceford said that the site was evaluated before the launch, keeping all safety protocols in mind. The spokesman of SaxaVord Spaceport said, "This was a test, and test campaigns are designed to identify issues before the next stage.”

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SaxaVord Spaceport was co-founded by Frank and Debbie Strang and is a former RAF radar station. The co-founders purchased the site 15 years ago, considering it to make it into an ecotourism attraction.

The UK space industry is worth £17.5bn, supporting 48,800 jobs at 2,200 firms. Cornwall Spaceport is the UK’s first officially licensed spaceport. However, the spaceport launches rockets horizontally carried by an aircraft.

(With inputs from agencies)