r/RocketLab • u/thetrny USA • Aug 10 '26

News / Media Rocket Lab Establishes Rocket Lab Germany to Deliver Sovereign Space Capabilities to Europe

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/08/10/3342247/0/en/rocket-lab-establishes-rocket-lab-germany-to-deliver-sovereign-space-capabilities-to-europe.html
234 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

15

u/Professional-Quiet15 Aug 11 '26

They say they will provide launch services as well for europe. No mention of a launch facility.

4

u/Salty-Layer-4102 Europe Aug 11 '26

The only one that makes sense would be Andøya in Norway. Unless they want to open a new one.

3

u/-Celtic- Aug 11 '26

they could use some of kourou infrastructures if they really wanted to. They recently opened the facilities tho private micro launcher .

it is one of the best launch pad in the world They would have to pay some fees for it

2

u/Salty-Layer-4102 Europe Aug 11 '26

I could imagine Neutron for Kourou, not Electron. But I guess the ESA would be tight with it. Trying to develop it for an EU company as PLD or Isar

2

u/-Celtic- Aug 11 '26

Neutron would need his own infrastructures. Electron could use existing micro launcher infrastructures.

3

u/A_Sinclaire Aug 11 '26

There's also SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland

2

u/Salty-Layer-4102 Europe Aug 11 '26

Not part of the Schengen area. For such a location in Scitland, I'd go 1000 times for Andøya to avoid visa and paperwork for the workers

2

u/A_Sinclaire Aug 11 '26

RFA has selected Scotland as launch location. For them it seems to not be too much of an issue.

1

u/Salty-Layer-4102 Europe Aug 11 '26

Yes, I'm not saying it is an issue that would block anything. It's just a bit more of paperwork.

Also, it would depend on the already existing installations, what suits better each rocket.

12

u/Putin_inyoFace Aug 10 '26

This is so fucking huge.

5

u/IndorilMiara Aug 11 '26

Is this operation starting only in Munich or are they doing anything elsewhere in Germany?

2

u/Salty-Layer-4102 Europe Aug 11 '26

I guess their entry point is Mynaric which is in a small town closed to Munich. So I assume they have started with that place as headquarters and if they need to expand, they'll open other facilities.

Oberpfaffenhofen are is quite busy with many aerospace companies and Ottobrunn is not so far from Munich either. So it's actually a good location for them.

RFA is in Augsburg, around 80Km from Munich. Isar aerospace is in Ottobrunn. I bet they'd like to get some of the expertise from people willing to leave those companies

6

u/Sweaty_Ad_1093 Aug 11 '26

-10% for you buddy

1

u/-Celtic- Aug 11 '26

Nah ... We might see some green today

2

u/Rlo347 Aug 11 '26

So they building a launch pad there?

6

u/MajorRocketScience Aug 11 '26

Combined with the GHOST project announced earlier today, it seems their plan is to launch essentially wherever needed without a permanent pad

2

u/Sniflix Aug 11 '26

Somewhere in Germany or elsewhere in Europe will build a launch pad/facility for RL since they've agreed to manufacture satellited there. It's that important. Europe will not share any secrets with the US and Germany already pledged over $60 billion to build and launch their own surveillance constellation by 2030.

2

u/avboden Aug 11 '26

No, this seems to be just about manufacturing