BREMEN, Germany — The European Space Agency is providing additional funding to four launch vehicle startups to help them with testing of their vehicles.
ESA announced Nov. 19 that it is extending contracts with HyImpulse, Isar Aerospace, Orbex and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) worth a combined 44.22 million euros ($46.7 million) through its “Boost!” program to assist in integrated testing of the launch vehicles they are building.
“Europe’s emerging commercial launch service providers are pushing towards their first launches,” Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA’s director of space transportation, said in a statement. “We are very interested to see their rockets deliver.”
ESA did not disclose the breakout of the funding, but Isar Aerospace said it received 15 million euros in additional Boost! funding. The company said it will use the funding for testing for the first two flights of its Spectrum small launch vehicle. The company has previously stated it planned to conduct the first Spectrum launch before the end of the year but has not provided recent updates on launch preparations.
Orbex said it received 5.6 million euros for integrated testing of its Orbex Prime launch vehicle it is developing for a first launch as soon as 2025. “This funding extension will enable us to make the vital next step in our journey as we move towards our inaugural launch of our microlauncher, Orbex Prime, next year,” said Phil Chambers, chief executive of Orbex, in a statement.
HyImpulse said will use its 11.8 million euros for work on its SL1 orbital launch vehicle, building upon its SR75 sounding rocket. That includes work on a new hybrid engine, avionics and a third-stage propulsion system.
“With the support of ESA, we will advance the development of our SL1 rocket, delivering a cost-efficient launch solution to address the growing demand for small satellite launches,” said Christian Schmierer, chief executive of HyImpulse, in a statement.
RFA, which lost the first stage of its first RFA ONE rocket in August when it was destroyed during a static-fire test, will use 11.8 million euros to compete a new first stage and perform testing of it. “Boost! is a crucial investment in Europe’s future space access, driving competition and innovation across the sector,” said Jörn Spurmann, chief commercial officer of RFA, said in a statement.
The additional funding comes amid ongoing European concerns about access to space even after the successful inaugural launch of the Ariane 6 in July and projected return to flight of the Vega C in December. Recent reliance on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 for some European government missions has only been exacerbated by the election of Donald Trump and belief by some in European space policy circles that he could strain US-Europe ties.
“Given the current political developments, it’s clear Europe must rethink its approach to space access,” said Stella Guillen, chief commercial officer of Isar Aerospace, calling the additional Boost! funding only a first step. “To become competitive globally, we need institutions and governments to clearly shift from funding the development to becoming frequent customers.”
Chambers, speaking on a panel at Space Tech Expo Europe here Nov. 19, said those concerns demonstrate the need for Europe to invest in creating sovereign launch capabilities. “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
