Isar Aerospace— European orbital rockets for small satellites.

Isar Aerospace builds Spectrum, a two-stage orbital launch vehicle for small and medium satellites, manufacturing the majority of the rocket in-house in Munich to give Europe its own independent route to orbit.

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Founded
2018
Headquarters
Ottobrunn, Germany
Legal name
Isar Aerospace SE

Highlights

Notable milestones from Isar Aerospace’s journey — funding rounds, launches, and other moments worth knowing.

expansion

Canada becomes Spectrum's second launch base

Isar signed a 10-year facilities agreement to build a dedicated Spectrum launch complex at Spaceport Nova Scotia, moving the May letter of intent into a contract. Build-out is planned to begin in 2026, first orbital launches are targeted for 2028, and the site could support up to 40 launches annually by 2029.

The fairing section of Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket standing in front of snowy mountains.
Spectrum hardware from Isar's announcement of the Spaceport Nova Scotia launch-complex agreement.
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partnership

Planet puts a German satellite on Spectrum's manifest

Planet Labs Germany booked Isar to launch a next-generation Pelican Earth-observation satellite from Andoya as early as late 2026. Because Planet plans to assemble the spacecraft in Berlin, the mission would be Germany's first pairing of a German-built satellite with a German-built rocket.

The payload fairing section of Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket standing upright outdoors.
Isar's Spectrum fairing hardware, the launch vehicle Planet booked for its German-built Pelican satellite.
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funding

€270M to prepare 40 Spectrum rockets a year

Island Green Capital and Molten Ventures joined a new €270M financing that Isar says will fund serial production planning for up to 40 Spectrum rockets a year and the planned Canadian launch site. The raise keeps Europe's best-funded launch startup moving toward volume before Spectrum has reached orbit.

Round
Growth Financing
Raised
$310M
Led by
Island Green Capital, Molten Ventures
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funding

€150M from Eldridge tips Isar into unicorn territory

A convertible bond from Eldridge Industries added roughly €150M to fund expanded launch capability and production, valuing the TU Munich spin-out at over $1B and making it one of Europe's most valuable New Space companies.

Round
Convertible Bond
Raised
$175M
Valuation
$1B
Led by
Eldridge Industries
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launch

Spectrum lifts off — the first orbital launch from continental Europe

The maiden "Going Full Spectrum" flight cleared the pad at Andøya before an anomaly ended it after about 30 seconds and it fell into the sea. No payload was aboard; clearing the tower on a first attempt and gathering full flight data made it a landmark for European launch all the same.

Spectrum rocket lifting off from the snow-covered Andøya Spaceport over the sea, seen from a drone.
Spectrum clears the pad at Andøya on 30 March 2025 — the first orbital launch attempt from mainland Europe.
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funding

$165M Series C, the world's biggest SpaceTech round of 2023

Backed by Porsche SE, HV Capital, Earlybird, Lakestar, Lombard Odier and others, the round pushed total funding past $330M and made Isar the most heavily capitalised independent New Space company in the EU.

Round
Series C
Raised
$165M
Led by
Earlybird Venture Capital, HV Capital, Lakestar
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recognition

Wins Germany's microlauncher competition, beating RFA and HyImpulse

DLR picked Isar over its German rivals for an €11M ESA-backed contract to fly institutional European payloads on Spectrum's first two flights — the first time the German government entrusted launches to a privately financed European company.

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funding

$165M Series B — the largest SpaceTech round in Europe

A round opened in late 2020 under Lakestar and extended in mid-2021 under HV Capital, Porsche SE and Lombard Odier grew to over $165M — the biggest private SpaceTech raise Europe had seen, funding the push toward a first launch.

Round
Series B
Raised
$165M
Led by
Lakestar, HV Capital
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expansion

Locks down Andøya as its launch site for up to 20 years

Isar signed exclusive access to the first orbital pad at Norway's Andøya Spaceport — becoming its anchor tenant on a 20-year deal and securing a high-latitude site purpose-built for the polar and sun-synchronous orbits its satellite customers want.

Aerial view of Isar Aerospace's launch complex on a snow-covered peninsula at Andøya Spaceport, Norway.
Isar's dedicated launch complex at Andøya, jutting into the Norwegian Sea above the Arctic Circle.
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milestone

Opens its Munich factory, set on building ~80% of the rocket in-house

Bavaria's Minister-President opened Isar's production hall in Ottobrunn near Munich. The vertically integrated bet — additively manufactured engines, tanks built as single parts, roughly 80% of the value chain in-house — was the plan for making Spectrum cheaply and at volume.

An Isar Aerospace technician operating a CNC machine on the production floor in Munich.
Inside the Ottobrunn factory, where Isar builds the bulk of Spectrum itself rather than buying it in.
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team

Three TU Munich rocketeers spin out to build Europe's own launch vehicle

Daniel Metzler, Josef Fleischmann and Markus Brandl turned their work in TU Munich's student rocketry group WARR into a company, betting that a privately built European launcher could end the continent's dependence on foreign rides to orbit.

Co-founders Daniel Metzler and Josef Fleischmann standing in front of a rocket engine and a Spectrum stage.
Co-founders Daniel Metzler (left) and Josef Fleischmann, who started Isar out of TU Munich's WARR rocketry group.
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