Post by Jonas Kellner

After five years, my chapter at RFA has come to an end. Let me tell you why. Rocket Factory Augsburg - RFA was my first job in the space industry, and I couldn´t have asked for a better place to start. A heartfelt thank you to Jörn Spurmann, Dr. Ibrahim Ata and Dr. Stefan Brieschenk who five years ago gave me the opportunity, trust, and freedom to develop and implement marketing, communictions, public affairs, and defense activities for RFA. (I still remember the second round of interviews clearly, when Stefan asked me [a non-engineer] to explain the oxidizer-rich staged-combustion engine cycle. Fortunately, my answer seems to have been satisfactory.) Thank you to the entire RFA team, past and present. External relations depend entirely on the people who develop, build, and test the rocket and its infrastructure day in and day out, and on those who make all of this possible in the first place. Without you, my contribution would literally be devoid of meaning, stories, and character. There are many memories from these years, but three stand out in particular: 🔷 The stage one hot-fire test in May 2024. On the first attempt, it succeeded! Standing on a beach in Shetland, about 3 km from the test site, hearing the roar of the Helix engines echoing across the landscape, and feeling the vibrations in my chest. Then celebrating with the team while fending off endless swarms of mosquitoes... 🔷 Filming with a public broadcaster in northern Sweden during engine tests at minus 30 degrees Celsius. Snow, darkness, and an environment that´s hard to describe unless you´ve experienced it yourself. Shetland is similar in its own way – only windier, with salty Atlantic spray whipping your face. Team Sweden and Team Shetland are absolute legends to me. 🔷 The everyday moments at RFA. Walking past rocket stages. Peeking into the clean room every morning and seeing Helix engines. Talking to the team and constantly feeling the passion, commitment, and resilience throughout the entire company. Because none of this was ever easy. But boy, was it fun. So, why leave? Simple: it´s time for the next step. I´m very excited to contribute further in the space industry! But moving forward with a different perspective, different technology, and different service. More on this soon!