en.Wedoany.com Reported - Planet Labs' Germany branch has entered into a strategic launch agreement with European space company Isar Aerospace. Under the agreement, Isar Aerospace will launch Planet's next-generation high-resolution Pelican satellites and plans to conduct additional satellite launches in the future.

The Pelican satellites will be carried by Isar Aerospace's Spectrum launch vehicle, with the first launch expected as early as the end of 2026 from Isar Aerospace's dedicated launch site at the Andøya Space Center. The Pelican satellites will be assembled at Planet's upcoming manufacturing facility in Berlin. This launch will mark the first time both the satellite and rocket are domestically produced in Germany, reflecting the country's growing sovereign space capabilities.

Martin Polak, Managing Director of Planet Labs Germany, stated that Germany has set an ambitious space agenda, and Planet and Isar Aerospace are responding to this demand by achieving the first domestically produced satellite and rocket in Germany. He noted that the teams have set a target of completing the first launch within 12 months of signing the agreement, demonstrating a flexible aerospace approach and supporting priorities in national security, resilience, and civilian applications.

Stella Guillen, Chief Commercial Officer of Isar Aerospace, said the collaboration highlights the strength and strategic importance of the German and European space ecosystem. With its scalable and integrated approach to launch capability development, Isar Aerospace is committed to meeting the growing global demand for space access for commercial and government missions. Europe can leverage this ecosystem to build resilient space capabilities and unlock potential for security and economic growth.

The partnership marks a milestone for Planet's end-to-end German space ecosystem. The company's European headquarters and mission control center are located in Berlin, with plans to expand local facilities in 2026 by building a new manufacturing plant to double production capacity for its next-generation high-resolution Pelican fleet. Planet expects to add up to 70 employees to its existing Berlin team of around 150, solidifying Germany's position as a hub for the European commercial space ecosystem and AI geospatial solutions.

Isar Aerospace is ramping up manufacturing capabilities for its self-developed Spectrum rocket. At its 40,000-square-meter facility near Munich, the company can build up to 40 launch vehicles annually. Focusing on automation and vertical integration, Isar Aerospace controls nearly every aspect of the design, manufacturing, testing, and launch value chain, supporting sovereign space access while enabling rapid iteration and customer flexibility.