The announcement of Isar Aerospace’s new funding comes as the startup rushes to launch its Spectrum small rocket later this year. The launch is expected to be Isar Aerospace’s first, and it will provide essential data for the development of future rockets. With this money, Isar Aerospace is able to continue improving its technology while racing toward its inaugural flight.
There is a huge demand for space launches in Europe, which is why startup company Rocket Lab wants to fill the gap. The company has just two European rockets flying today: the heavy-lift Ariane 5, built by ArianeGroup, and Italian aerospace company Avio’s Vega launch vehicle. Rocket Lab believes that it can build a better rocket than either of these and become the provider of choice for European launches.
The Isar CEO Daniel Metzler told TechGround that European governments are waking up to the geopolitical and economic upsides to sovereign launch capabilities. With proposed regulations, such as the one recently discussed in Luxembourg, governments are beginning to see how becoming a space-faring nation can bring benefits such as increased trade and new opportunities for foreign investment. While some U.S. rivals, like SpaceX and Blue Origin, have enjoyed significant state support for their launches, Metzler said that European countries are starting to see the value of creating their own private sector space infrastructure
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made a big push for the space industry, seeing it as an opportunity to build up another economic pillar and create jobs. Even with contributions from many countries, the space industry is still nascent, so there is plenty of potential for growth.
Recently, Isar has seen an increasing overlap between public and private interest in its technology. In their most recent Series C round, investors including 7-Industries Holding, Bayern Kapital, Earlybird Venture Capital, HV Capital, Lakestar, Lombard Odier Investment Managers, Porsche SE and UVC Partners backed the company while the European Investment Fund and programs managed by the European Commission played a role in granting them funding. This increase in public backing as well as private investment reflects increased enthusiasm for Isar’s technology within both the industry and outside of it.
NASA has been working on the development and testing of the Orion spacecraft and its launch vehicle, the SLS. Orion is a heavy-lift vehicle that will carry astronauts to deep space destinations, while SLS is designed to send heavier payloads into orbit. While both Orion and SLS have undergone numerous assessments, improvements, and tests over their development lifetimes, management has decided that a more comprehensive test regime is necessary for ultimate success. The goal of this comprehensive test regime is to verify the design integrity and performance of both entities throughout all phases of their operation in order to ensure a safe journey for astronauts into deep space.
Metzler’s experiences as a startup founder and his current focus on vertical integration have driven him to believe that the best way to realize economies of scale is by taking on all of the manufacturing tasks himself. This perspective has helped us become one of the leaders in electric vehicle production, and we are committed to advancing our technology and expanding our reach even further. Our vertically integrated strategy allows us to control all aspects of our manufacturing process, from engineering and design through sourcing materials and producing vehicles. By focusing on quality control throughout every step of the process, we are able to deliver vehicles that meet or exceed customer expectations.
The Isar Aerospace co-founders Daniel Metzler and Josef Fleischmann are a team of experts in the field of aviation engineering, boasting over 200 combined years of experience. With their collective expertise, the duo has founded Isar Aerospace to bring innovative aircraft design and manufacturing to the market. Their aim is to create aircraft that
Full vertical integration has a variety of benefits for space companies. By creating a single source for all their needs, these companies are able to simplify their vehicle designs and protect themselves against ongoing supply chain issues. This is particularly useful in the rapidly evolving and increasingly complex space industry.
The first mission for Isar is a big deal for the company and its customers. The journey to space will be tough, but it’s definitely something that those onboard will never forget. With five customer payloads flying on the first mission, there is sure to be plenty of exciting discoveries waiting for them when they reach their destination.
Isar has been very successful in negotiating contracts with customers for future launchers. Their first American customer is rideshare broker Spaceflight Inc. This deal signifies the growing importance of this industry to companies all over the world.
Metzler told GeekWire last year that the company plans to complete integration tests of Aquila this year, building on its successful 124 hot fire tests over a one-year period. With every phase of the Aquila project coming together, CEO Larry Metzler said he’s feeling positive about the rocket’s potential and increase in funding.
As the European startup space rapidly expands, so does the competition for lucrative launch opportunities. Isar is one of a select few companies looking to capitalize on this growth by targeting Europe as its main market. Its competitors include fellow upstarts Rocket Factory Augsburg in Germany, as well as Orbex and Skyrora in the United Kingdom, and a handful of others. While these companies all have their own unique selling points, Isar is likely best positioned to take advantage of Europe’s growing technology sector.
Given that Metzler’s competitors include some of the most experienced chefs in the city, he is not taking his position lightly. He believes that the competition will be steep, but with hard work and dedication, he is confident that he can
If industry analyst Tarun Pathak’s prediction comes true, we could see a drastic decrease in the amount of launch providers by the 2020s. This would obviously have a negative impact on consumers as there would be less variety and competition when it comes to space launches. However, it is possible that smaller companies may flourish due to this lack of player competition.
Launch companies have a lucrative business, as evidenced by the number of competing companies in the market. Many launch services are offered by a few large providers, but this does not mean that smaller businesses cannot compete. These small businesses can offer better customer service and lower prices, as well as increased innovation and quality.
