RFA pushes maiden flight to 2025 after launchpad explosion

TAMPA, Fla. — Rocket Manufacturing facility Augsburg not plans a maiden flight this 12 months after dropping a part of its RFA ONE rocket throughout a static-fire check, the German firm mentioned Aug. 23 because it launched extra particulars concerning the incident.

“We received’t be firing one other first stage this 12 months and the primary check flight has additionally been postponed till subsequent 12 months,” RFA spokesperson Jonas Kellner advised SpaceNews through e mail.

The corporate had aimed to fly RFA ONE for the primary time in a matter of weeks, earlier than its first stage was destroyed Aug. 19 throughout checks at SaxaVord Spaceport, Scotland. The inaugural mission was set to be the first-ever vertical launch to orbit from British soil.

Level of no return

“The plan for Monday was to hot-fire the stage with all 9 engines for the primary time,” RFA chief working officer and co-founder Stefan Brieschenk mentioned in a social media submit.

Nevertheless, one of many eight motors that efficiently ignited developed a “very uncommon” anomaly. 

“It was most definitely a fireplace within the oxygen pump,” Brieschenk continued. “That’s actually troublesome to include.”

The fireplace quickly unfold to neighboring engines and — regardless of an emergency cease process — “it seems that all the pieces that adopted thereafter was merely not sized for this intensive injury from this oxygen hearth within the turbopump.”

A fireplace jet seen popping out of the rocket’s facet signifies a broken engine propellant manifold system that signaled “the purpose of no return,” Brieschenk added, in the end collapsing the whole first stage.

Getting again on observe

Brieschenk mentioned RFA has beforehand ignited the rocket’s Helix motors greater than 100 occasions with out inflicting an oxygen hearth in one of many turbopumps, giving the corporate confidence that it doesn’t have to make any design modifications.

Even nonetheless, he described the primary stage as an engineering mannequin and mentioned one other booster already within the works would have greater than 100 enhancements — principally associated to propellant and pressurization techniques.

The enhancements “will assist us to maintain a serious engine injury, in flight and on the pad, with out mainly dropping the stage,” he mentioned, including “we wish to ensure that, if we have now such a extreme engine failure the place a turbo pump mainly explodes, we is not going to lose phases sooner or later.”

RFA ONE’s fairing, second and third phases are unaffected and awaiting integration in Saxaford for his or her debut subsequent 12 months.

And whereas RFA must rebuild direct supporting techniques for the rocket which can be built-in with the launch stool, Brieschenk mentioned the remainder of the launchpad is unscathed. 

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