A rocket engine exploded during a test launch at a new spaceport in the Shetland Islands, located off the northern coast of Scotland, the rocket’s manufacturer reported on Tuesday.
Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), a German company, confirmed that no injuries occurred during the incident, which took place at SaxaVord Spaceport on the remote island of Unst on Monday evening.
Footage from the test launch captured the moment the engine exploded on the launchpad, engulfing the entire structure in flames and thick smoke.
SaxaVord Spaceport, recently licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is designed for small rockets to deliver payloads into low Earth orbit. It is promoted as Western Europe’s only fully-licensed vertical rocket launch facility.
RFA was conducting tests at the site in preparation for the U.K.’s first vertical rocket launch into orbit, scheduled for this autumn.
In a statement, the company assured that the launch pad has been secured, the situation is under control, and any immediate danger has been mitigated. RFA is collaborating with the spaceport and relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the explosion.
Read More: Charity Accidentally Distributes Meth-Laced Candies in Auckland Food Parcels
Britain aims to become Europe’s leading hub for commercial spaceflight. In 2022, a different site in Cornwall, southwest England, became the first licensed U.K. spaceport, where rockets are launched horizontally—carried by an aircraft to high altitudes before the rocket engine takes over.
