German company announces successful first test campaign for its new space rocket engine

German startup space launch company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) announced on Wednesday that it had successfully concluded the first test campaign on its Helix rocket motor. The Helix is a staged combustion engine and it was tested in its flight configuration, at Kiruna, in Sweden. “Helix operated perfectly for a total duration of 74 seconds – including three ignition and shut-down sequences without the need to replace any components on the engine,” enthused RFA COO Dr Stefan Brieschenk. “This first qualification campaign also included up-throttling the engine to 130% of the nominal design point for a brief period. We are truly excited that our design has proven so reliable and performant [sic].”