Britain's Space Race
Next UK rocket launch: RFA One from SaxaVord Spaceport in August 2026. Live countdown, launch time in UK time, and mission status below.
The full UK rocket launch schedule covers every orbital and suborbital mission from SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst in Shetland, plus horizontal launch from Spaceport Cornwall, with dates, operators, vehicles and how to watch each launch.
Maiden Flight
Launch Pad Fredo, SaxaVord Spaceport
Update (29 July 2026): RFA has de-stacked the vehicle after an issue was found during pressurisation testing. The launch is on hold pending investigation. A new date will be confirmed once available.
Launch on hold
New date to be confirmed
The previously announced window opening of 10 August 2026 – five weeks of attempts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 4pm to 8pm local time – is now uncertain and subject to the outcome of the investigation. The live countdown will resume automatically once a specific attempt time is confirmed.
First flight of the RFA One launch vehicle. Will carry 7 satellites for various companies and organizations coordinated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR).
A number of UK Space Agency funding calls have been announced recently, spanning early-stage innovation, space cluster infrastructure and satellite…
Before she was selected for ESA's astronaut reserve, Dr Meganne Christian spent the darkest, coldest months of the year isolated at Concordia Station in…
The British government and Florida’s space-focused economic development agency have each committed $200,000 to support joint research, innovation and…
