Airborne and ATG partner for development of composite launcher structures
On November 18, 2025, ATG Engineering announced its first commercial contract with Rocket Factory Augsburg for composite structures for the RFA ONE launcher. This contract marks a shift from R&D to industrialization of composite launcher structures, with Airborne as development partner for production process automation and subcontractor for recurring commercial manufacturing.
The contract is a prime example of the accelerated industrialization of the NewSpace era. ATG’s advanced composite structures, grid-stiffened and mass-optimized, are a result of more than 10 years of development and technological maturation between ATG and Airborne, partially funded and supported through Dutch contributions via the Netherlands Space Office in the ESA GSTP and BOOST program.
Composite structures for the ONE launcher
The RFA ONE launcher is designed to provide small satellites access to space. ATG will deliver the main interstages and upper skirts, cost-effectively due to Airborne’s advanced automated production system. With Europe’s launcher market focused on competitive pricing and small satellite launches, these lightweight, high stiffness structures will play a vital role in the RFA ONE’s performance.
From innovation to composite manufacturing
ATG’s challenge now is transforming R&D into recurring manufacturing, which is currently done manually. Airborne will lend technical support for the industrialization of the launcher structures, focusing on scalability, cost efficiency and reliability.
ATG and Airborne explain their partnership in detail in a video. You can find the link on this page
About Airborne
Airborne is a technology leader in advanced composites and digital automation. Headquartered in The Hague, Airborne delivers innovative manufacturing solutions that help customers scale production, reduce costs and increase productivity. With a focus on the aerospace, space, defence and marine markets, Airborne combines deep materials knowledge with cutting-edge automation and digital systems to bring new solutions to automate advanced composites manufacturing.