Independent access to space is an economic and a security imperative for Europe. In addition to having European launch vehicles, this also includes establishing launch sites. To offer these services cost-effectively, competitively, and rapidly in the future, OHB is consolidating its in-house expertise in launch site infrastructure into a new company. The "European Spaceport Company" will focus on creating and providing launch options from both maritime and land-based launch sites. This includes not only infrastructure for mobile and fixed launch pads, but also ground segments, mission control centers, testing facilities, and a variety of services.

“Europe needs a reliable and independent access to space. This has been a key focus for us at OHB for many years, and of course, this includes launch sites. We are already making significant contributions to the offshore spaceport concept, and we plan to expand this further in the future,” says Marco Fuchs, CEO of OHB SE.

OHB is no newcomer to the development of launch site infrastructure. Through its various subsidiaries, the company has been involved in building and enhancing European launch capabilities for more than five decades. For almost 30 years, MT Aerospace AG has been significantly involved in the operation and maintenance of launch facilities and the construction of critical infrastructure at the European spaceport in Kourou. Additionally, several studies on alternative concepts for suborbital and orbital rocket launches have been conducted in the past.

“A new era has begun in space exploration, and it demands more and more creative offerings across the entire value chain. At OHB, we are experts in launch sites and infrastructure, and we are closely connected to developments in the market, which we leverage to the benefit of our customers,” explains Sabine von der Recke. She will lead the new company together with Ulrich Scheib (MT Aerospace AG) and Dr. Arne Gausepohl (OHB Digital).

The new company’s initial goals are to develop a European offshore spaceport and expand launch capacities at the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, with a versatile launch complex that can accommodate various rocket types. The next step will be to expand the range of launch services to global markets.

The outcome of the recently completed OSLIOS (Offshore Spaceport – Solutions and Infrastructure Development for Orbital Launches) collaborative project is a flexible, mobile launch platform (Mobile Multi-User Launch Pad, MMULP) that can be used with different rocket types. This will allow the capacity of existing launch sites to be expanded based on demand, regardless of the rocket type. The advantage is that a much higher launch cadence can be achieved while utilizing existing infrastructure, such as ground stations and communication systems, saving both time and costs.

The project was made possible through funding from the Federal Ministry of Transport and close collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

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