German Space Agency (DLR) awards $18 million contract to Exolaunch

The German Space Agency at DLR has commissioned the Berlin-based company Exolaunch to provide the launch services 'package' for the 12 winners of the small satellite and small satellite payload competitions. 

Small satellites are versatile and flexible – for telecommunications services, Earth observation and climate research, or for testing new technologies in space. They can be produced in larger quantities and therefore more cost-effectively and rapidly than conventional satellites, opening up a wide range of new opportunities for commercial services and scientific research. With this in mind, the German government has launched the Small Satellite Initiative. The German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) manages this programme and its competitions on behalf of and with funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz; BMWK).

"The competitions benefit start-ups and SMEs in particular and thus also put the important New Space focus of the space strategy into practice. We see the competitions as a catalyst and trailblazer for the commercialisation of space activities in Germany and Europe," says Walther Pelzer, DLR Executive Board Member and Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR. "By commissioning Exolaunch GmbH, we are now taking the next important step towards launch."

The contract with Exolaunch GmbH is worth almost 18 million euros. The Berlin-based company has been responsible for more than 80 percent of German small satellite launches over the last 10 years and has already flown several DLR-supported missions. The current contract includes the procurement of flights on small launch vehicles, the coordination of the launch campaigns, the procurement of small satellites for the payloads from the competition and the provision of relevant technical guidelines and peripherals for satellite and payload manufacturers. In addition, Exolaunch will oversee qualification tests, compatibility analyses and manufacturing activities.

European research institutions and companies were able to submit proposals for small satellites or payloads to the German Space Agency at DLR in 2023. The winners will receive a zero-cost small satellite platform for their payloads as well as a zero-cost launch opportunity on a European microlauncher in 2025.

The winners of the Small Satellite and Small Satellite Payload competitions were announced on 23 November 2023 at the second national Small Satellite Conference in Berlin.

Aerospace in the Airport Region

The capital region is one of the top aerospace technology locations in Germany. Engine development and production, light aircraft construction as well as aircraft maintenance and repair are the core competencies of the companies based here, which include global players such as Rolls Royce Deutschland, MTU Maintenance and Lufthansa.

The region is not only the cradle of German aviation, but also a location with a future, providing innovative impetus through the development and use of unmanned flight systems, the production of small satellites and the New Space sector.

For further information on the economic development of growth sectors in the region and on business and technology promotion for companies, investors and scientific institutions, please contact:

Melanie Gartzke I melanie.gartzke(at)airport-region.de

Source: Press release “Eighteen million euros for small satellite platforms and launch services” , Jan 24, 2024; all infos: https://www.dlr.de/en