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[Text/Observer Network Chen Sijia] According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), on August 19 local time, a newly built spaceport in the Shetland Islands of the United Kingdom failed during a rocket launch test. The rocket engine exploded and the scene was engulfed by a huge fireball. The accident caused no casualties.

The RFA One rocket developed by the German commercial aerospace company Augsburg Rocket Factory was tested at the SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst in the Shetland Islands. The goal was to send the UK's first vertical rocket into orbit. However, during the test, flames and smoke spewed horizontally from the bottom of the rocket, and then the entire launch pad was engulfed in fire.

Sachsawdude Spaceport said in a statement that all safety protocols were fully followed and that personnel on site were evacuated before the test began. "This is a test and the purpose of the test is to find problems before the next phase."

The Augsburg Rocket Factory also issued a statement saying that the accident caused damage to the rocket but caused no casualties. "The launch pad has been protected, the situation has been brought under control, and any immediate risks have been mitigated." The company is working closely with the spaceport to collect data and information on the rocket explosion to determine the cause of the accident.

A company spokesman said: "We emphasise field testing. This is part of our philosophy and we recognise that this approach carries a higher risk. Our goal is to resume normal activities as quickly as possible."

RFA One is a commercial rocket developed by the Augsburg Rocket Factory, which plans to launch its first rocket later this year. According to data released by the company, the RFA One rocket is about 30 meters long and 2 meters in diameter, with a carrying capacity of 1.3 tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit, 450 kilograms to a geosynchronous transfer orbit, 300 kilograms to a cis-lunar transfer orbit, and 150 kilograms to a geostationary orbit.

The first stage of the rocket is equipped with nine Helix liquid oxygen-kerosene engines, with a single engine thrust of approximately 100kN. The second stage of the rocket is equipped with a vacuum version of the Helix engine.

According to Space News, Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB Group, the parent company of the Augsburg rocket factory, revealed in an earnings call earlier this month that four of the nine engines on the RFA One first stage have undergone static ignition tests, and he believes the first launch "will come soon."

The Guardian reported that three months ago, RFA One conducted its first test at the Sachsward Spaceport, when the engine shut down after running for 8 seconds.

In recent years, the UK has been increasing its investment in the space industry. According to the BBC, the Sachsward Spaceport in the Shetland Islands received a license from the UK Civil Aviation Authority in December 2023, and is expected to become the first fully licensed spaceport in Western Europe capable of vertical launch into orbit. There are also five proposed spaceports under development in Scotland.

In January 2023, the UK conducted a "horizontal launch" mission at the Cornwall Spaceport. An aircraft of the US Virgin Orbit used an air-based launch vehicle to launch a satellite into orbit in a "horizontal launch" manner. This was the first time that the UK launched a satellite on its own soil, but due to a malfunction of the rocket, the satellite failed to enter the intended orbit and the launch mission ended in failure.

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