Greetings from the just completed Small Satellite conference in Utah. In this edition of SmallSat Briefs, Rocket Factory Augsburg announced another fundraising round, Spire Global won a satellite contract, a Spanish company acquired Ecliptic Enterprises, Lockheed Martin opened a new small satellite manufacturing facility, Extrotrail launched US subsidiaries, and other news from the conference.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

I had the occasion to visit the booths of two German startups, Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg, that are eyeing maiden flights of their small satellite launch vehicles next year.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

During the first seven months of the year, five new satellite launch vehicles from Europe, China, Russia and South Korea flew successfully for the first time. As impressive as that is, it was a mere opening act to a busy period that could see at least 20 additional launchers debut around the world.

• On June 20, 2022, the German Space Agency at DLR started the second round of the competition for small satellites to fly on micro-launchers developed and built in Germany.
• The competition is aimed not only at European institutions, but also at start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises.
• A total of three more flights will be offered by the space companies Isar Aerospace Technologies GmbH and Rocket Factory Augsburg AG in 2023 and 2024.
• Focus: space travel, commercialization, start-up funding

COLOGNE, Germany (DLR PR) — On June 20, 2022, the German Space Agency started the second round of the competition at DLR for a free flight of small satellites on micro-launchers developed and built in Germany. This marks the beginning of the application phase for a total of three further flights, which will be offered by the space companies Isar Aerospace Technologies GmbH and Rocket Factory Augsburg AG in 2023 and 2024. This time, the competition is aimed not only at European institutions, but also at start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises.

BERLIN, Germany, April 25, 2022 (RFA PR) – Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) wins the 2022 round of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) microlauncher competition. The prize values 11 million Euros [USD $11.7 million]. As a result, the German government will be an anchor customer of RFA ONE. On each of the first two flights of RFA ONE, a payload of up to 150 kg will be placed by DLR.

SINGAPORE, 10 February 2022 (Rocket Factory Augsburg PR) – Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA), Europe’s leading launch service provider, has partnered with Southern Launch, a South Australian rocket launch service provider. The partnership allows for the German launcher RFA ONE to be launched from Southern Launch’s launch sites; the Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex in South Australia. Southern Launch’s orbital complex provides direct ascent into sun-synchronous and polar orbits. 

DUBAI, UAE, 28 October 2021 (Plus Ultra Space Outpost/RFA PR) – Plus Ultra Space Outpost (Plus Ultra) and Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) have jointly signed an agreement for launching a demonstrator mission to the Moon.

RFA will launch Plus Ultra’s demonstrator mission towards the end of 2023 on the RFA ONE launch system. Plus Ultra’s first satellite will launch into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), from where it will use its own propulsion to reach lunar orbit and become the first satellite to initialise Plus Ultra’s cis-lunar constellation “Harmony”. The satellite will also be the first private orbiter with electric propulsion going to and orbiting the Moon.

Marco Fuchs announces agreement with Pedro Siza Vieira, Minister for the Economy and Prof. Heitor, Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education in Lisbon

Lisbon, Portugal – April 23, 2021 – Rocket Factory Portugal LDA Unipessoal, a subsidiary of German launch service provider Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA), successfully concluded the contractual negotiations to develop composite structures of its launch vehicle RFA ONE together with CEiiA, a Portuguese Engineering and Development Center based in Matosinhos, North of Portugal. The announcement took place during the event “Space in the Recovery of Portugal and Europe” in Lisbon, to be followed by a visit to the island of Santa Maria, Azores. 

AUGSBURG, Germany (RFA PR) – OHB Cosmos International Launch Services GmbH, a company of OHB SE’s newly established business segment OHB DIGITAL, as well as LuxSpace, the group’s Luxembourg-based satellite manufacturer, both signed a contract for a dedicated launch with German-based launch service provider, Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA), for upcoming missions scheduled for mid-2024 and 2025.

AUGSBURG, Germany (OHB PR) — OHB Sweden, a subsidiary of the space and technology group OHB SE, has signed a launch service contract with Rocket Factory Augsburg AG (RFA) for a mission planned for mid-2024.