SPIEGEL: Isar Aerospace plans to complete a factory in 2026 that can produce 40 launch vehicles per year. Wouldn't that be enough to meet potential Bundeswehr orders?Metzler: The Bundeswehr wants to be ready for war by 2029. According to that, the satellite systems would have to be operational by 2028, and the launch vehicles would have to be launched in 2027. We would have to start building these launchers—the carrier rockets—by 2026 at the latest. As of now, our flights are fully booked until 2029*, so we would need to expand capacity much more quickly to build the planned satellite constellations within that period.SPIEGEL: Isar Aerospace hasn't launched a rocket into space yet. When will the next test flight be?Metzler: When we've successfully completed all the tests. We're on the right track.SPIEGEL: Before the first launch, you said it would be a success if the launch pad didn't explode. The pad stayed in place, but the flight ended in a quick crash. What is the goal of the second flight?Metzler: We were in the air with the Spectrum rocket for about 30 seconds and collected a lot of valuable data. For us, that was a great success. Now we want to get into orbit as quickly as possible. Remember: SpaceX needed four attempts to achieve this. There are many other important technical milestones along the way, such as the detachment of the first engine stage and the ignition of the upper stage. We have the first satellites on board, so of course we want to reach orbit.SPIEGEL: And if not?Metzler: Then we'll make the next attempt as soon as possible; the third and fourth rockets are already in production. We'll enter series production in 2026. But if we want to deliver faster and in greater numbers, we'll have to order more machines and hire employees. For this, we need clear commitments from the Bundeswehr, which will pre-finance this accordingly.
SPIEGEL: Could you even build a heavy-lift rocket like the Bundeswehr needs?Metzler: The Bundeswehr needs smaller launchers first, and that's what we're focusing on. At the same time, it's also conceivable in the future to develop a launch vehicle the size of the European Ariane with Isar Aerospace – if there's a contract for it.SPIEGEL: When could such an "Isariane" be ready?Metzler: Initially, the full focus is on qualifying the Spectrum for flights into space and expanding our production. However, it makes sense to build the planned satellite network gradually anyway. After all, it's not enough to launch all the satellites at once; they must also be able to communicate with each other and with the soldiers on the ground. That won't happen within a month. If the Bundeswehr wants to be sovereign in its space strategy, it should purchase satellites and launch vehicles from German manufacturers.
SPIEGEL: Isar Aerospace recently closed a financing round of €150 million. Your new backer is the American financial investor Todd Boehly. Doesn't that run counter to your intention to participate in the development of a sovereign European space infrastructure?Metzler: Anyone who believes something like this can be achieved here with German capital alone is deluding themselves. German money is primarily in the bank accounts of wealthy families and not in funds that invest in startups. That's a question of attitude. We should therefore be pleased that companies like Isar Aerospace are mobilizing private capital for Europe's sovereignty and prosperity. We have to ask ourselves why Americans have more trust in European industry than we do ourselves.SPIEGEL: How great is the influence of the Americans at Isar Aerospace?Metzler: The investment firm Eldridge Industries has one of seven seats on the supervisory board. Their influence is accordingly limited.SPIEGEL: If Trump and Musk put pressure on us to withdraw funds because you're competing with SpaceX, that could change.Metzler: That won't happen. The Western world needs more than one SpaceX, for reasons of sovereignty and capacity. Besides, Musk's strategy is geared toward flying to Mars anyway. He probably wouldn't mind other companies handling launches, satellites, and data. And Trump explicitly demands that we Europeans take care of our own defense capabilities.
"The next steps now are to prepare for the next flights, F2 and F3, which will carry cubesats selected as part of ESA's Boost! initiative. The first available slot for potential customers would be on flight F7, scheduled for the second half of 2027. The rate is expected to increase to six or eight flights per year starting in 2027. The agreement with Andøya limits the number of flights to fifteen per year, but Isar Aerospace should have a second site, on the ELM in Kourou, starting in early 2028. Capacity in French Guiana is limited to twenty flights per year, to be shared among the various ELM tenants. Isar Aerospace would therefore like to acquire a third site, which could be operational within four years. The Portuguese launch site project in the Azores has been ruled out due to wind constraints, but options are being studied in Canada
Isar Aerospace@isaraerospaceFrom design to delivery, we own every step of the journey. At our state-of-the-art testing facility in Sweden, our in-house developed 'Aquila' engines roar to life—now fully acceptance tested for Flight 2!
On 13 November, an Isar Aerospace update on its social channels revealed that, just over seven months after its first flight ended in a fireball, the company had returned to its launch facilities at the Andøya Spaceport in Norway in preparation for the rocket’s second flight. While brief, the update stated that the main and upper stages for the flight had arrived at the company’s launch pad and that it was “gearing up for pre-flight testing.”
Andøya Space has sent an application to the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority for the establishment of three temporary danger areas in the air for the launch.According to the application, the launch is planned for the period 6 - 19 December 2025, with a reserve period 13 - 24 January 2026.Flight time is estimated to last approximately seven minutes, with daily time period from 20:00 to 20:50.The application explains that a 14-day launch period with daily 40-minute windows provides the necessary flexibility to take into account weather and technical conditions.
A new rocket has now arrived at the launch base at Nordmela, where German Isar Aerospace will soon make another attempt to reach space. The first attempt in March was only partially successful.The space port on Andøya is now getting ready (photo: Isar Aerospace).After many months of work at the factory in Germany, Isar Aerospace has now received its second rocket in the hall on Andøya.The date has not yet been set for the launch, as there is a lot of work to be done before the rocket is completely ready to take off.
BREMEN, Germany — SEOPS, an American mission services provider, has purchased a Spectrum launch from Isar Aerospace to broaden launch options for its customers.Isar and SEOPS announced Nov. 18 that SEOPS bought the launch of a Spectrum rocket from Andøya Spaceport in Norway in 2028. The companies did not disclose terms of the agreement.SEOPS will use the launch for multiple payloads to low Earth orbit through its LaunchLock Prime service, which provides launch and satellite integration support for customers. Spectrum is the first European rocket secured for that program.
Isar Aerospace has signed a launch service agreement with SEOPS, a U.S.-based integration and mission services provider for a dedicated mission scheduled in 2028. Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle ‘Spectrum’ will deploy multiple payloads into a low Earth orbit (LEO) from its dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space in Norway.“The global demand for launch capacity from Europe continues to accelerate as nations and industries recognize the strategic importance of independent access to space,” says Stella Guillen, Chief Commercial Officer of Isar Aerospace. “We are proud to welcome SEOPS to our launch manifest. Isar Aerospace is committed to enabling our partners with scalable space capabilities that provide reliable and flexible access to orbit.”This launch represents the first European launch under SEOPS’ LaunchLock Prime program. “This mission broadens the launch access available to our LaunchLock Prime customers,” said Evan Hoyt, Executive Vice President at SEOPS. “LaunchLock Prime was built to give customers reliable, flexible access to launch capacity tailored to their mission needs. Securing Spectrum capacity with Isar Aerospace, driven by customer demand, demonstrates how we deliver on that promise—giving our customers greater control and choice in how and where their missions reach orbit.”
New Launch Agreement signed with @esa and @EU_Commission for @RedwireSpace mission. This is the path to sovereign space capabilities for Europe—by fostering partnerships between institutions and commercial innovators. As #CM25 defined Europe’s future in space, we are building it. Read more: https://isaraerospace.com/press/isar-aerospace-and-esa-sign-contract-to-launch-a-mission-under-the-european-commission-horizon-2020-program
KONGSBERG and Helsing team up to realise European space ambitionsKongsberg Defence & Aerospace (‘KONGSBERG’), the Norwegian defence technology company, and Helsing, the German defence technology company, and have signed a teaming agreement to accelerate the realisation of critical European space capabilities.10 Dec 2025The companies aim to deploy a sovereign, space-based intelligence, surveillance, and targeting (IST) constellation with an interconnected comms layer for Europe by 2029. HENSOLDT, the global leader in sensor solutions, will provide its unique technology to the collaboration.This Norwegian-German initiative is a direct response to Europe's need for greater deterrence and addresses the strategic importance of space-based intelligence, a key lesson from recent geopolitical events. The collaboration aligns with Germany's significant defence space initiative and builds on a history of defence cooperation between the two nations.This team will deliver the required capability by integrating several key technologies. KONGSBERG and Helsing, both with operational experience in Ukraine, will combine KONGSBERG’s satellites with Helsing’s AI-driven software capabilities to fuse multiple data modalities such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electro-optical (EO), and radio frequency (RF) for satellite image analysis. Helsing has proven on-board AI algorithms deployed in orbit for data analysis.HENSOLDT will contribute its SAR radar, EO/IR (Electro-Optical/Infrared) and EW (Electronic Warfare) sensors. KONGSBERG Satellite Services (KSAT), which operates the world’s largest ground network to communicate with and operate satellites, complements the collaboration.European space company Isar Aerospace, with its launch complex at Andøya Space in Norway, is the preferred launch partner for this Norwegian-German initiative.
