In January 2023, German company
Rocket Factory Augsburg signed a multi-year launch agreement which would give exclusive access to the northernmost launch pad of the spaceport, Launch Pad Fredo, with testing of the RFA One core stage beginning in mid-2023 and a first launch scheduled as early as late 2023. In May 2023, spaceport CEO Frank Strang announced a new $137million debt financing package during a UK Parliamentary Science and Technology Committee hearing. The source of the funding was not revealed. On 28 July 2023, the
Civil Aviation Authority granted HyImpulse permission to launch its SR75 suborbital
sounding rocket for the first time from SaxaVord between 1 December 2023 and 30 November 2024. HyImpulse subsequently moved the maiden flight of the SR75 to
Koonibba Test Range in
South Australia, citing delays to infrastructure at SaxaVord. The Civil Aviation Authority announced on 17 December 2023 that SaxaVord had nevertheless been granted a spaceport licence "to host up to 30 launches a year", making it "the first fully licensed vertical spaceport in Western Europe." In April 2024, the spaceport was granted a range licence by the Civil Aviation Authority, allowing them to
control the sea and airspace to the north of the site around orbital launch trajectories. In May 2024
Rocket Factory Augsburg's orbit-capable
RFA One conducted an engine hotfire test at the spaceport site. On 19 August 2024, a
static fire test of the RFA One
first stage with all nine engines was conducted, on the stage that was slated to fly on the maiden flight of RFA One. The test experienced an anomaly that resulted in a fire, subsequent explosion, loss of the stage, and major damage to the launch mount. In October 2024, UK rocket manufacturer
Orbex announced their intention to mothball their proposed
Sutherland spaceport on the Scottish mainland near
Tongue and relocate planned launches to SaxaVord (citing its more advanced state of development). Orbex went
insolvent and stopped operations in February 2026. On 16 January 2025, the CAA granted a launch licence for the RFA One rocket to reach orbit, the first of its kind in the UK and Europe. This licence is limited to 10 launches per year as well as no more than two in any given month, and must give 60 days' notice for range safety purposes. In August 2025, the Civil Aviation Authority licensed
Skyrora to conduct up to 16 sub-orbital Skylark L launches per year from SaxaVord—the second launch operator to be licensed to use the site - following the spaceport’s vertical launch and range control licences granted in December 2023 and April 2024. ==In popular culture==