Launch service agreements with ESA and the EU Commission
Isar Aerospace Isar Aerospace has signed two launch service agreements with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission. The Isar Aerospace contracts with ESA and EU secure ESA launches under the Flight Ticket Initiative and are considered the first launch agreements between a privately funded European Rocket company and European institutions. Two missions are planned aboard the Spectrum launch vehicle starting in 2026.
The starting point for the missions from 2026 is Andøya
The Isar Aerospace contracts with ESA and the EU include the 'CASSINI mission,' developed by the Dutch company ISISpace, and the 'Tom & Jerry mission,' developed by the French company Infinite Orbits. Both satellites are scheduled to launch from the Norwegian spaceport Andøya on the Spectrum spacecraft.
The Flight Ticket Initiative is a joint programme of the European Commission through Horizon Europe IOD-IOV and Boost! ESA and promotes European launch services. The program co-finances and competitively selects providers to demonstrate and qualify new technologies in orbit.
With these contracts, the Munich-based startup is setting a precedent for institutional contracts with privately financed rocket providers in Europe.
Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace, says:
"Isar Aerospace provides sovereign space capabilities for Europe and its partners. These agreements underline the trust that European institutions place in our launch services. They strengthen Europe's independent access to space and lay the foundation for future institutional missions under other programs such as the European Launcher Challenge."
For the Munich-based startup, the agreement not only secures its first institutional contracts, but also positions it more strongly as a partner for future European space projects. Isar Aerospace the growing role of startups in the European space sector.
