Isar Aerospace seals win of the German microlauncher competition award with ESA and will be first privately funded European company providing launch services to European institutional payloads
Munich, 23 November 2021 - After winning the German microlauncher competition award in April 2021, Isar Aerospace received a letter of support from the German Space Agency at DLR for EUR 11 million under the ESA Boost! Program. Isar Aerospace and the European Space Agency (ESA) today signed a contract sealing Isar Aerospace’s win and being the first launch service provider to sign a second contract within this program.
For Isar Aerospace the contract includes the provision of launch services for institutional European payloads on the first two flights of Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum into Earth orbit. The hosted institutional payloads of up to 150 kg for each flight are being selected following an Announcement of Opportunity that closed in October 2021. This is the first time that the German government entrusts launch services for institutional payloads to a privately financed European space company, marking a big milestone in European space history.
The award was organized by DLR within ESA’s Boost! program that supports Commercial Space Transportation Services with the objective to foster commercial space transportation services in Europe. During the competition a jury of space experts selected Isar Aerospace as having the best solution from technical, commercial and operational perspectives.
“We are honored to be the first privately funded European company to provide end-to-end launch services to any European institution or government. Having them acting as anchor customers of the private space industry is an important approach to drive commercialization, which is key for a strong European space industry leading to European sovereignty in space,” says Daniel Metzler, CEO of Isar Aerospace.
Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Space Transportation continues, “Through this contract with Isar Aerospace, ESA Boost! provides further support to build up key expertise in industry and to advance swiftly towards concrete milestones. New market opportunities are in reach for Europe with its own small launch vehicles – a field where time is of the essence.”
The Boost! contract was signed at ESA’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, by Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA Director of Space Transportation and Daniel Metzler, CEO at Isar Aerospace.
Isar Aerospace has raised over 150 million euros in private funding, has won customers such as Airbus Defence and Space, and agreed on launch contracts with European NewSpace companies such as EnduroSat and OroraTech.
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 by Daniel Metzler, Josef Fleischmann, and Markus Brandl. Since then, it has grown to more than 200 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 leading investors including Airbus Ventures, Apeiron, Earlybird, HV Capital, Lakestar, Lombard Odier, Porsche SE, UVC Partners, and Vsquared Ventures.
More information via: https://www.isaraerospace.com/
Press contact Isar Aerospace
Tina Schmitt
