https://newatlas.com/aircraft/polaris-mira-test-flight-crash/It was set to be the world's first flight test for an aerospike rocket engine, but the MIRA I prototype crashed on takeoff before the most innovative part of its propulsion system could fire. Undeterred, Polaris is building two bigger prototypes.
German startup POLARIS Spaceplanes announced that after securing its latest tranche of funding, it has now raised a total of €7.1 million for the development of its AURORA multipurpose spaceplane and hypersonic transport system....According to the company, it will utilize the funding to develop its planned NOVA demonstrator and deliver on its backlog of customer contracts. The company will then look towards closing a large funding round in 2025, which will be used to bring AURORA to life.
MIRA II receives operation license for aerospike rocket flights – and first flight of “Mini MIRA II”Operations at high pace: Just six months after we started the design from scratch, MIRA II has been assembled, ground-tested and is ready to fly. This Wednesday, we also received the operation license for aerospike flights from the aviation authority, after we successfully tested the flight-termination system (FTS) during ground-roll testing. MIRA II is 5 m long, has a nominal take-off mass of 240 kg and is our largest vehicle so far. In the coming weeks, we will start the flight testing.When we applied for an operation license for the first time in 2022 (for the much smaller and simpler ATHENA), it took us many months and many iterations to understand the processes, set up the documentation, get all the assessments and permissions from the various stakeholders involved, until the aviation authority finally accepted the application and granted the license. Now, thanks to a lot of experience, it takes us just weeks to compile the documentation (for an aerospike rocket plane!) and get the operation license.In the meantime, “Mini MIRA II”, the 2.6 m long little sister of MIRA II, conducted its first flight in September and accomplished 14 flights within a few days. “Mini II” is used for tuning the flight controller for MIRA II. It is our 6th aircraft in the air.Last but not least, in September our old workhorse ALEDA also received an operation license for flights with increased weight and special equipment. The 3.5 m long ALEDA is a veteran already having accomplished several dozen flights in the past, mainly for testing of avionics and procedures. ALEDA will now be used to simulate the “receiver” aircraft in spaceplane aerial refueling flight experiments. These activities are supported by the BAAINBw (Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support).
POLARIS Spaceplanes Prepares for Key In-Flight Refuelling MilestoneGermany’s POLARIS Spaceplanes is preparing to attempt a key milestone in its development of in-flight refuelling capabilities for its AURORA multipurpose spaceplane and hypersonic transport system.AURORA is an uncrewed platform designed for hypersonic flight testing and, with the addition of an expendable upper stage, capable of deploying satellites into orbit. During the take-off and landing phases, the vehicle will be powered by four turbofan engines. When conducting hypersonic testing or launching payloads into orbit, AURORA’s two aerospike engines will be fired. POLARIS is currently planning to begin operational flights of AURORA in 2028.In early 2024, POLARIS Spaceplanes announced that Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) had backed the development of an in-flight refuelling capability. This capability would extend AURORA’s operational range and boost its maximum payload capacity.By May 2024, the company announced that it had received approval from the country’s Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport to begin a seven-month flight testing campaign over the Baltic Sea. This testing included two small demonstrators, ALEDA and Mini MIRA II, developed as progressively larger testbeds for key technologies required by AURORA.To date, testing has included dozens of automated close-proximity formation flights. According to a 29 April update, POLARIS is now preparing for its first docking experiments, which the company says will begin “soon.”The primary aim of the experimentation is to develop the technology that will enable the refuelling of AURORA’s kerosene tank. However, in its original announcement, the company revealed that it would, as a subtask, explore the possibility of future refuelling with liquid oxygen.
Helmut Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence, and Dr. Alexander Kopp, CEO of POLARIS Raumflugzeuge GmbH, signed an exclusive cooperation agreement today at the Paris Air Show. The two companies will jointly pursue innovative approaches for new airborne defense systems.The goal of the agreement is to arm unmanned POLARIS airborne launch systems with Diehl Defence effectors. The IRIS-T air-to-air guided missile will be integrated onto an unmanned POLARIS launch system. The resulting 'Airborne Launching and Attack System' (AirLAS) will create a new dynamic and enable the armed forces to comprehensively expand their capabilities. The success factors of this AirLAS approach are considered to be its long range and significantly increased effective area. Initial flight tests are planned for this year.The combination of a flight-proven and reusable delivery system with the outstanding capabilities of the combat-proven IRIS-T guided missile creates a cost-effective, multi-domain operational solution that addresses current ground-based air defense challenges with an innovative concept. Integration into the Future Combat Air System or a maritime environment is also possible.AirLAS, with its high potential for future applications, including possible use in long-range hypersonic systems, will be the basis for innovative solutions from Diehl Defence and POLARIS.
POLARIS SECURES AN OVERSUBSCRIBED 5.3 MILLION EUROS TOP-UP FUNDING We are pleased to announce that POLARIS has secured an oversubscribed 5.3 million Euros top-up funding on its recent seed round, bringing three new investors on board. The round is co-led by Capnamic Ventures Bremen and Spacewalk VC, complemented by private investor Guiseppe Nardi. Three existing investors made a significant contribution to the round as well, including Dienes Holding and E2MC (Earth-to-Mars Capital) Ventures.POLARIS’ private funding now totals 12.4 million Euros, which is complemented by customer contracts of so far more than 10 million Euros.The new funding will be used to field our first serial product, to pre-fund upcoming new customer contracts, and to prepare for a large funding round in the coming months.POLARIS is pioneering a new category of reusable spaceplanes that take off and land horizontally from airports, offering faster turnaround, lower costs, and minimal ground infrastructure compared to traditional vertical-launch systems. The increasing importance of economic viability and sustainability, but also national sovereignty, make horizontal take-off spaceplanes the solution of the future for access to space and hypersonic flight. We are proud of our new and existing investors’ trust in our project and our company!A special big THANK YOU goes to the whole POLARIS team for making all our successes possible!
I'd love to know how they will proceed. Supersonic booms are frowned upon in Germany. So where do you test? Over the North Sea? When do they think to achieve Mach 1+, Mach 7ish for staging? Also, what their thoughts on the 1 ton to LEO. That is pretty small. Is that to first prove the concept and then scale up? And, heritage! After the German Sänger 1 and 2 never lifted-off, why do they think they will be successful? What changed? Aerospikes are another challenging choice. While the turbojets are off-the-shelf, the aerospikes are not. Risky?
INVICTUS will deliver a hypersonic flight test capability unlike anything currently available in Europe, enabling technologies that make future reusable spaceplanes possible.[...]Tony Forsythe, Head of Space Technology at the UK Space Agency, said: “The shortlisting of Spaceport Cornwall and Machrihanish demonstrates the UK’s infrastructure and expertise in advancing cutting-edge aerospace technologies. INVICTUS represents exactly the kind of ambitious, collaborative programme that could cement the UK’s position as a European leader in space innovation.
Quote from: leovinus on 11/24/2025 04:16 pmI'd love to know how they will proceed. Supersonic booms are frowned upon in Germany. So where do you test? Over the North Sea? When do they think to achieve Mach 1+, Mach 7ish for staging? Also, what their thoughts on the 1 ton to LEO. That is pretty small. Is that to first prove the concept and then scale up? And, heritage! After the German Sänger 1 and 2 never lifted-off, why do they think they will be successful? What changed? Aerospikes are another challenging choice. While the turbojets are off-the-shelf, the aerospikes are not. Risky?Their current test site is at Peenemünde Airport to fly over the Baltic sea.This article published today might also be relevent.QuoteINVICTUS will deliver a hypersonic flight test capability unlike anything currently available in Europe, enabling technologies that make future reusable spaceplanes possible.[...]Tony Forsythe, Head of Space Technology at the UK Space Agency, said: “The shortlisting of Spaceport Cornwall and Machrihanish demonstrates the UK’s infrastructure and expertise in advancing cutting-edge aerospace technologies. INVICTUS represents exactly the kind of ambitious, collaborative programme that could cement the UK’s position as a European leader in space innovation.
We are celebrating 250 flights of our vehicle fleet!Big congratulations to the whole POLARIS team for achieving this milestone!Looking forward to 1000s of flights to come - in atmosphere and to space
