German space startups propel development of mini rocket launchers RFI 05 Aug 2021, 04:16 GMT+10 Three German startups are developing mini rocket launchers for the increasing number of small satellites which observe the Earth and provide connectivity for the internet of things and smart vehicles. At the end of July, German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) carried out a first successful test of its "RFA One" rocket, igniting the engine for eight seconds at its development site in Kiruna, Sweden. The rocket's "staged combustion" system is used by Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, but is yet to be rolled out in Europe.