Isar Aerospace participates in inauguration of new Spaceport Esrange in Sweden, showcasing its strong contribution to Europe’s future in space

Isar Aerospace's COO Josef Fleischmann and CEO Daniel Metzler (from left to right) in front of a demonstrator of Spectrum - Picture credit: SSC - Swedish Space Corporation

Isar Aerospace is planning to perform reusability testing at Spaceport Esrange
Demonstrator of company’s launch vehicle Spectrum showcased at the event
Isar Aerospace’s launch services and commercial offer will make a critical contribution to Europe’s future in space

Kiruna, Sweden, 13 January 2023 – Isar Aerospace today participated in the inauguration ceremony of Swedish Space Corporation’s orbital launch complex, Spaceport Esrange in Northern Sweden. The event gathered political and societal high-level personalities: H.M. the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, the President of EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen and a delegation of the European Commission, the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Josef Aschbacher, Director General of European Space Agency, came to Esrange today, on January 13, to inaugurate the new spaceport which will open for satellite launches in 2023. Apart from launching satellites into orbit, Spaceport Esrange will also host testing of reusable rockets.

H.M. the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, the President of EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (from right to left) cutting the ribbon - Picture Credit: European Commission

Isar Aerospace is a close partner of the Swedish Space Corporation and has built one of Europe’s most advanced test rigs at the Esrange premises, at which the company is currently performing flight-design tests of its fully inhouse developed rocket engine Aquila. While Isar Aerospace plans to perform reusability testing at Spaceport Esrange in the future, the company is currently not considering orbital launches from there.

“Congratulations to SSC and the Swedish government on opening Spaceport Esrange today! I am very pleased to see that Sweden is yet another nation to recognize the importance of spaceflight for the future of our planet and is now creating the infrastructure that is so critical for Europe,” says Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-Founder of Isar Aerospace.

During the event, Isar Aerospace showcased a demonstrator of the company’s completely inhouse designed, developed and produced launch vehicle Spectrum containing the upper stage, payload compartment and Vacuum engine. Spectrum is scheduled for its first test flight in 2023 from Andøya Spaceport, Norway. Creating access to space, the company’s commercial offer to launch satellites from Norway and French Guiana will make a critical contribution to humanity’s future in space.

Josef Fleischmann, COO and Co-Founder of Isar Aerospace, says: “Isar Aerospace’s strong partnership with the Swedish Space Corporation is key to our technological development and significantly contributes to our philosophy of being a completely vertically integrated launch services company – owning design, production, testing and launch in-house. We are looking forward to further boost our testing activities at Esrange, starting with the reusability testing after our first test flight.”

“The independent capability of Spaceport Esrange will fuel a competitive and resilient Europe. But European independent and competitive access to Space also requires European rockets. That is why Esrange is today a lively testbed for new rocket technology, where leading rocket developers such as Isar Aerospace help drive innovation and accelerate the development of new European rocketry,” says Stefan Gustafsson, Senior Vice President Strategy & Sustainable Business for SSC.

About Isar Aerospace

Isar Aerospace, based in Ottobrunn/Munich, develops and builds launch vehicles for transporting small and medium-sized satellites as well as satellite constellations into Earth’s orbit. The company was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from Technical University Munich. Since then, it has grown to more than 300 employees from more than 40 nations with many years of hands-on rocket know-how as well as experience within other high-tech industries. The company is privately financed by former SpaceX VP Bulent Altan as well as world-leading investors including Airbus Ventures, Apeiron, Earlybird, HV Capital, Lakestar, Lombard Odier, Porsche SE, UVC Partners, and Vsquared Ventures. Find more information via: https://www.isaraerospace.com/

About SSC

Swedish Space Corporation helps Earth benefit from Space. Since the 70’s, SSC has helped space organizations, companies, other commercial actors and research institutes to get access to Space. Our products and services enable successful space projects within Earth observation, telecommunications, security, meteorology, navigation and positioning, scientific research and other applications. Through our local presence on all continents and more than 600 committed employees, we offer specialist expertise in satellite communications, spacecraft operations, rocket and balloon systems, launch services, flight test services and data analytics. Among our strongest assets are Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden, set to become first to launch satellites from continental Europe in 2023, as well as one of the world's largest commercial ground station networks for satellite communications. Via our subsidiary GlobalTrust, we also leverage satellite data and analytics applications to help companies, organizations and governments to develop and deliver sustainability strategies. www.sscspace.com