ISAR Aerospace Prepares Their Rocket to Be Launched into Orbit

ISAR Aerospace is a start-up founded by three students in 2018. The company has developed a space launcher that is used to launch private companies’ satellites into space.

Daniel Metzler, one of the founders of ISAR, had the idea that their spacecraft could potentially be launched anywhere their clients wish. At the beginning of the last month, the city of Ottobrunn, the place where the Headquarters of Airbus Defense and Space is based, opened a production hall. Here, the 27 metre long rocket, called Spectrum, is being built. “There are still many things to do,” says Metzler.

The 28-year-old manager, Daniel Metzler, gave an interview. The student, who founded the company to kick-start Bavarian space travel, still shimmers through when he speaks. Every time he starts talking, he jumps from one topic to another: statistics, names, etc. The young man draws a parallel between space travel and the Internet. “Space travels are like the Internet 20 years ago,” says Metzler, with shiny eyes and a great smile. “There are so many possibilities,” he assures. Traveling in space is possible; there is no lack of technology. “Everything depends on the imagination of engineers.”

ISAR Aerospace is a worthwhile business

Metzler and his business partners, Markus Brandl and Josef Fleischmann, didn’t see the business as worthwhile at first. “As part of a student group called WARR, we built motor rockets which many companies wanted to buy. The first reaction was, “why us?”. The three students did market research and found out that many enterprises had the ambition to fly to space, but they lacked the knowledge to do so. 

“If Europe wants cheap access to space, we have to develop a launcher,” said Metzler. The ISAR Aerospace founders quickly found themselves an investor. It was Susanne Klatten, one of the richest women in Germany.

Last month, ISAR Aerospace, a company created by three students of the Technischen Universität München (TUM) raised €15 million. Furthermore, with the new financial possibilities, Ottobrunn’s team grew. Metzler had 25 employees in January this year, now he has 100.

Faster than the competition

ISAR Aerospace is a simple transport service provider. Spectrum, their spacecraft, accelerates better than other vehicles of their competitors. “No matter what kind of space travel you’re up to, the transport is the same.” At the moment, the main goal of the company is to fly to Mars. However, there are still many things to do before they will be able to achieve this goal.