Isar Aerospace Plans to Expand Production Capacity in Germany, More Than Doubling Launch Capacity by 2028

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 15, German rocket manufacturer Isar Aerospace stated that it plans to more than double the launch capacity of its Spectrum launch vehicle by 2028 compared with its current planned level. Stella Guillen, the company's Chief Commercial Officer, said that its existing launch capacity for 2028 has already been fully booked by customer contracts, and the company is currently arranging at least four Spectrum launches in 2027.

Isar Aerospace is currently building a new headquarters and rocket manufacturing base in Parsdorf near Munich, Germany. The facility has a floor area of approximately 40,000 square meters and is designed for a maximum annual production of 40 Spectrum launch vehicles, adopting a relatively high degree of automation and vertically integrated production model, covering rocket design, manufacturing, and most testing processes. The company is gradually transitioning Spectrum from the development and test-flight stage into a serial manufacturing system.

In parallel with the expansion of manufacturing capacity, the company is also expanding its rocket engine and full-stage testing capabilities. In February 2026, Isar Aerospace announced the construction of a second test site at the Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden. Once completed, the new facility will be able to support testing more than 30 engines per month, while also adding full-stage integrated acceptance testing capability for rockets, to support subsequent increases in Spectrum production and launch frequency.

The scale of market demand that Isar Aerospace currently sees is significantly higher than its short-term actual production capacity. Guillen said that based on the customer demand the company is currently in contact with, if it were to fully meet potential demand in 2028, it would need close to 200 Spectrum-class launch vehicles, but its new factory is designed for a maximum capacity of 40 per year. The company has not yet disclosed the corresponding total order backlog.

On September 15, Isar Aerospace also signed a multi-launch services agreement with U.S. satellite launch services provider SEOPS, adding five dedicated Spectrum launch missions. Under the agreement, these missions will be carried out between 2028 and 2030, with launch sites including Isar Aerospace's dedicated launch facility at Andøya Space in Norway and Spaceport Nova Scotia in Canada. The company said that after signing the agreement, its 2028 launch manifest is nearly full.

These five missions are an expansion of the existing cooperation between the two parties. SEOPS organizes dedicated and rideshare launches for satellite customers through the Waymaker program, and this newly added contract locks in Spectrum as the launch vehicle for some follow-up missions. The agreement covers future launch services and does not involve Spectrum rocket manufacturing assets or equity transactions.

On September 5, 2026, Isar Aerospace completed Spectrum's second flight mission, "Onward and Upward." The mission launched from Andøya, Norway, and the rocket successfully reached orbit and deployed all customer payloads, including five CubeSats and one technology demonstration payload. This was Spectrum's first completed in-orbit deployment of customer payloads and the company's second actual flight.

The company has begun preparing for Spectrum's third flight. Guillen said that the third mission is planned to be carried out as soon as possible after the successful orbital insertion on September 5; at the same time, the company is simultaneously expanding production, engine testing, full-stage testing, and multi-launch-site operational capabilities to support a higher launch cadence after 2027.

Spectrum is a two-stage liquid launch vehicle, mainly targeting the launch market for small and medium-sized satellites and satellite constellations. Isar Aerospace adopts a relatively high degree of vertical integration, handling rocket design, production, and testing itself, and has built a dedicated launch facility at Andøya in Norway. The company also plans to add a second commercial launch site through Spaceport Nova Scotia in Canada, providing different launch azimuths and orbital options for some customer missions from 2028 to 2030.

In June 2026, Isar Aerospace completed a €270 million financing round. The company disclosed that the funds from this round will be used to expand Spectrum production capacity, advance the new Parsdorf factory, and enhance launch service capabilities for government and commercial customers. With the new funding in place, the company continues to advance serial production in line with the factory's maximum annual capacity of 40 Spectrum vehicles.