German rocket manufacturer Rocket Factory Augsburg has been awarded launch service contracts for two missions under Europe’s Flight Ticket Initiative, strengthening its position in the continent’s emerging small-launch market, the European Space Agency said.
The contracts, announced on Jan. 22, cover two missions comprising a total of three satellites and were awarded through the Flight Ticket Initiative, a joint programme of the European Space Agency and the European Union. The scheme provides subsidised launch opportunities for European institutions and companies, with individual contracts valued at up to €5 million.
Rocket Factory Augsburg, or Rocket Factory Augsburg, was one of five European launch service providers pre-selected for the initiative in early 2024, alongside Arianespace, Isar Aerospace, PLD Space and Orbex. Responsibility for Arianespace’s participation was later transferred to Avio following its takeover of full operational control of the Vega C rocket.
ESA said the two missions awarded to RFA include Lurbat, a technology demonstrator satellite carrying experiments in propulsion, onboard processing, in-orbit servicing and advanced materials. The second mission consists of two CubeSats built by Indra Space, hosting five experiments selected by the European Commission under its Horizon Europe In-Orbit Demonstration and Validation programme.
An RFA spokesperson told European Spaceflight that both missions are expected to be launched aboard a single flight of the company’s RFA One rocket, likely its third mission following two initial test flights.
With the latest awards, Rocket Factory Augsburg has now secured four institutionally contracted missions for RFA One. Two earlier launches were awarded under the German Aerospace Center’s Microlauncher Competition, funded through ESA’s Boost! programme, under which RFA received €11 million to launch two government-selected payloads of up to 150 kilograms across two flights.
ESA said the Flight Ticket Initiative is intended to accelerate Europe’s access to space by supporting domestic launch providers and ensuring regular, flexible launch opportunities for small satellites.
