German Defense Minister Pistorius: Modern defense begins in space, considers Bundeswehr-owned launch site

Ottobrunn — "I think today's meeting sends a very important signal, because our defense of our free world begins in space," said Isar Aerospace CEO Daniel Metzler yesterday during a ministerial visit in Ottobrunn. "Without networking in space, modern armed forces cannot survive, and these satellite data are the key to military reconnaissance, communication, and also target acquisition."

Metzler welcomed the minister to the space company with this logic. The unanimous opinion of both men: The path of the Bundeswehr inevitably leads into space as well.

Lessons from the War in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine in particular has demonstrated how vulnerable armed forces become when satellite-based reconnaissance, communication, and target acquisition fail. The best-known example is likely the private provider Starlink, which temporarily shut down its services.

Germany's Need for Sovereign Satellite Capacities

According to Pistorius and the Bundeswehr, Germany therefore requires more of its own sovereign satellite capacities. Satellites can be built in Germany, as the minister previously observed at OHB in Bremen.

Rheinmetall is also currently constructing a satellite production facility on the Lower Rhine. The critical issue, however, is how this technology reaches space — precisely where the €35 billion package announced by the minister in fall of last year is intended to come into play.

Isar Aerospace's Role in Space Access

For the technology to make its way into space, two essential components are needed, both currently lacking across Europe:

• Launch sites
• Launch vehicles

Existing capacities at Ariane or at the spaceport in French Guiana are limited. Today, German and European satellites almost exclusively reach space using Falcon rockets from Elon Musk.