RFA One Maiden Flight — launch date, time, visibility & where to look

First flight of the RFA One launch vehicle. Will carry 7 satellites for various companies and organizations coordinated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). * AllBertEinStein * ARTICA * Curium Two * ERMINAZ * PCIOD * Separation Ring Mission * SpaceDREAM

RFA One on the pad
Rocket
RFA One
Provider
Rocket Factory Augsburg
Launch site
SaxaVord Spaceport
Status
To Be Determined

Countdown to liftoff

Targeting December 2026 — the exact date and time are not set yet. Launch dates firm up close to the attempt; set a free alert below to get the final time.

Launch time

This launch time is not yet confirmed. Rocket launches often slip by hours or days for weather, technical checks, or range scheduling; treat the time above as a target and re-check close to the date.

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Visibility map: how far away can you see it?

Each ring shows how far away RFA One is line-of-sight visible that many seconds into flight: about 89 miles by T+30s, 192 miles by T+60s, and roughly 305 miles by T+90s. City dots are colored by the expected view quality; the table below has the direction to look from each.

N ↑ T+90s T+75s T+60s T+45s T+30s T+15s Launch Pad Fredo
RFA One | Maiden Flight visibility range: each ring marks how far away the rocket is above the horizon that many seconds after liftoff, out to about 305 miles at T+90s. Rings are line-of-sight geometry from a representative ascent profile, centered on the pad — the rocket also travels downrange, stretching views along its track, and night launches are often visible well beyond the outer ring. Assumes clear skies and an open horizon.

Which cities can see this launch?

Estimated visibility from major towns near US launch sites, assuming clear skies and an open horizon. The 10 most likely first:

CityVisibilityLook towardDistance to pad
Philadelphia, PA Not visible — 3359 mi
Ocean City, NJ Not visible — 3375 mi
Cape May, NJ Not visible — 3405 mi
Dover, DE Not visible — 3413 mi
Rehoboth Beach, DE Not visible — 3422 mi
Baltimore, MD Not visible — 3442 mi
Ocean City, MD Not visible — 3443 mi
Berlin, MD Not visible — 3449 mi
Annapolis, MD Not visible — 3455 mi
Salisbury, MD Not visible — 3459 mi
Show all 94 cities
CityVisibilityLook towardDistance to pad
Pocomoke City, MD Not visible — 3474 mi
Chincoteague, VA Not visible — 3475 mi
Washington, DC Not visible — 3477 mi
Wallops Island, VA Not visible — 3480 mi
Onancock, VA Not visible — 3500 mi
Exmore, VA Not visible — 3512 mi
Cape Charles, VA Not visible — 3533 mi
Virginia Beach, VA Not visible — 3555 mi
Newport News, VA Not visible — 3558 mi
Norfolk, VA Not visible — 3565 mi
Richmond, VA Not visible — 3565 mi
Myrtle Beach, SC Not visible — 3828 mi
Charleston, SC Not visible — 3914 mi
Hilton Head Island, SC Not visible — 3973 mi
Savannah, GA Not visible — 3992 mi
Brunswick, GA Not visible — 4058 mi
Jacksonville, FL Not visible — 4111 mi
St. Augustine, FL Not visible — 4124 mi
Valdosta, GA Not visible — 4136 mi
Palm Coast, FL Not visible — 4139 mi
Daytona Beach, FL Not visible — 4154 mi
New Smyrna Beach, FL Not visible — 4161 mi
Gainesville, FL Not visible — 4172 mi
Mims, FL Not visible — 4180 mi
Titusville, FL Not visible — 4182 mi
Sanford, FL Not visible — 4186 mi
Port Canaveral, FL Not visible — 4187 mi
Cocoa Beach, FL Not visible — 4192 mi
Tallahassee, FL Not visible — 4192 mi
Merritt Island, FL Not visible — 4192 mi
Rockledge, FL Not visible — 4194 mi
Satellite Beach, FL Not visible — 4199 mi
Indialantic, FL Not visible — 4203 mi
Orlando, FL Not visible — 4205 mi
Melbourne, FL Not visible — 4205 mi
Palm Bay, FL Not visible — 4208 mi
Sebastian, FL Not visible — 4216 mi
Kissimmee, FL Not visible — 4220 mi
Vero Beach, FL Not visible — 4224 mi
Fort Pierce, FL Not visible — 4232 mi
Port St. Lucie, FL Not visible — 4244 mi
Lakeland, FL Not visible — 4253 mi
West Palm Beach, FL Not visible — 4266 mi
Tampa, FL Not visible — 4275 mi
Pensacola Beach, FL Not visible — 4292 mi
Fort Lauderdale, FL Not visible — 4303 mi
Gulf Shores, AL Not visible — 4315 mi
Miami, FL Not visible — 4326 mi
Grand Isle, LA Not visible — 4449 mi
Rockport, TX Not visible — 4747 mi
Port Aransas, TX Not visible — 4759 mi
Corpus Christi, TX Not visible — 4771 mi
Laredo, TX Not visible — 4855 mi
South Padre Island, TX Not visible — 4865 mi
Port Isabel, TX Not visible — 4868 mi
Laguna Vista, TX Not visible — 4869 mi
Bayview, TX Not visible — 4871 mi
Fresno, CA Not visible — 4875 mi
Harlingen, TX Not visible — 4876 mi
Los Fresnos, TX Not visible — 4876 mi
Brownsville, TX Not visible — 4887 mi
San Jose, CA Not visible — 4890 mi
McAllen, TX Not visible — 4893 mi
Mojave, CA Not visible — 4938 mi
Bakersfield, CA Not visible — 4941 mi
San Luis Obispo, CA Not visible — 4988 mi
Pasadena, CA Not visible — 4993 mi
Pismo Beach, CA Not visible — 4996 mi
Los Angeles, CA Not visible — 5002 mi
Santa Maria, CA Not visible — 5002 mi
Guadalupe, CA Not visible — 5005 mi
Orcutt, CA Not visible — 5008 mi
Thousand Oaks, CA Not visible — 5010 mi
Los Alamos, CA Not visible — 5011 mi
Malibu, CA Not visible — 5014 mi
Ventura, CA Not visible — 5015 mi
Santa Barbara, CA Not visible — 5017 mi
Solvang, CA Not visible — 5017 mi
Oxnard, CA Not visible — 5017 mi
Buellton, CA Not visible — 5017 mi
Long Beach, CA Not visible — 5018 mi
Vandenberg Village, CA Not visible — 5018 mi
Lompoc, CA Not visible — 5022 mi
San Diego, CA Not visible — 5055 mi

Where to look

A rocket lifts off below the horizon for distant viewers, then climbs into view as it gains altitude and flies downrange. Closer to the pad you'll see it within seconds; a few hundred miles away it can take three to six minutes to rise over the horizon. Find an open view in the direction shown for your city and start watching at liftoff.

Before you go

RFA One Maiden Flight launch FAQ

When is the RFA One Maiden Flight launch date and time?

RFA One Maiden Flight is currently targeting December 2026 — the exact date and time have not been announced yet. Status: To Be Determined. Launch dates slip often; the countdown on this page tracks the latest target, or set a free alert to get the final time.

Where does RFA One Maiden Flight launch from?

From SaxaVord Spaceport, operated by Rocket Factory Augsburg. If you are within a few hundred miles, the city-by-city table on this page shows the expected view from your area and which direction to look.

How far away can you see the RFA One Maiden Flight launch?

Roughly 305 miles with clear skies: within about 89 miles of the pad the rocket clears the horizon in the first half-minute, and by T+90 seconds it is high enough to be line-of-sight visible around 305 miles away. Night launches can be visible even farther as the exhaust plume catches sunlight. The visibility map on this page shows the range rings and which cities fall inside them.

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Launch data from TheSpaceDevs Launch Library 2. Page generated September 26, 2026.