Interview with RFA CEO Indulis Kalnins

Summary

In this interview, Rocket Factory Augsburg CEO Prof. Dr. Indulis Kalnins reflects on his first nine months leading a young, international team and outlines the company’s focus on completing the Helix engine development, finalizing the RFA ONE first stage, and preparing the launch site for the upcoming inaugural flight. He reports that the first stage is now being moved to the launch site, with engine acceptance tests ongoing in Sweden and the second stage slated for shipment to SaxaVord soon. The next milestones are launch‑pad commissioning, vehicle integration, and hot‑fire testing, while longer‑term plans include expanding launch services and technical upgrades under the European Launcher Challenge.