Electronics Weekly
At the SpaceComm expo in London, the spaceport and the German company Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) announced they will be supporting the launch of intelligence monitoring and gathering satellites as well as commercial satellites into orbit.
In other words, governmental launches for defence and information gathering. The spaceport highlighted that many European countries are “space-locked”. That is they lack their own access to space, meaning sites such SaxaVord and Norway’s Andøya Spaceport will attract greater interest.
With RFA – and also other clients, including the hybrid-propellant rocket specialist, HyImpulse, another German company –
With at least two German companies set to launch from SaxaVord – the UK’s only fully licensed vertical launch spaceport – the two nations are bidding to lead within NATO to step up Europe’s space launch ambitions, said SaxaVord.
As well as RFA, another German client is the hybrid-propellant rocket specialist HyImpulse, based in Baden-Württemberg in south-western Germany.
Defence
The back drop to the announcement was mounting geo-political uncertainty. In the wake of threatened changes to the USA’s European defence policy, and the Trinity House agreement announced by the UK and German governments in October, the two countries are looking to deepen UK-German defence co-operation.
“We have all our licences for orbital vertical launch already in place, and we are putting the finishing touches to infrastructure on site to support our partners,” said Frank Strang, CEO of SaxaVord, “in particular Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) which has made a significant financial investment in our spaceport.
“SaxaVord has been collaborating closely with RFA for several years now and has been advocating for and driving this key UK-German initiative.
Sovereign space
“For me, it has even become more important to strengthen links between our traditional European partners, especially in regard to space,” said General Traut, head of German Space Command. “What we are seeing today between German and UK companies is very encouraging. Having access to sovereign launch will be very important for our security.”
The German Ambassador to London, Miguel Berger added:
“It’s so good to see SaxaVord working so closely with German companies Rocket Factory Augsburg and Hympulse – we will very soon have the capability for rocket launch on the European continent by having micro launchers. Sovereign launch is important for our two nations and allies across Europe.”
See also: Rocket Factory Augsburg licensed to launch from Shetlands in UK first
