take off into space

Isar Aerospace has announced that it will launch its first rocket into space as early as mid-2022. Now it is also clear from where it is to set off: From the island of Andøya in Norway.

Lots of water, rocks, known for its moorlands and nothing around it - that's what the Vesterålen archipelago looks like. One of the islands is called Andøya, from where the start-up Isar Aerospace wants to launch its first rocket. The launch site is exclusively available to the Ottobrunners for 20 years, and the maiden flight is also to take place from Andøya. It is planned that the first rocket will be launched in mid-2022. Earlier this year, Isar Aerospace was still talking about late this year or early next year. The competition, on the other hand, for example Rocket Factory or Hyimpulse, both want to launch at an even later date.

The competition for the commercial exploitation of space has long since begun, with US start-ups usually leading the way. But investors and politicians alike are pinning their hopes on Isar Aerospace: In December 2020, it received 75 million euros from German as well as European venture capitalists such as Earlybird and Lakestar. The latter has been involved since the second round of financing, and boss Klaus Hommels sits on the start-up's supervisory board.

Isar Aerospace can use its Spectrum rocket to carry various goods into space, such as satellites for broadband supply. The start-up was founded in 2018 out of the Technical University of Munich by Daniel Metzler, Josef Fleischmann and Markus Brandl.