A launch platform in the North Sea is to become a spaceport

A rocket platform in the North Sea is approaching. Four European rocket manufacturers have signed letters of intent for cooperation with the German Offshore Spaceport Alliance (GOSA) in Berlin. Industry President Siegfried Russwurm said that start-ups and medium-sized companies in particular would benefit from simplified and flexible access to space. A launch platform in the North Sea is to become a spaceport. "New Space" describes the increasing commercialization of space travel. One of the building blocks here is the construction of small satellites that can be launched with new mini-rockets, so-called microlaunchers. A floating launch platform for these small launch vehicles is planned in the North Sea, specifically a special ship with a launch pad. According to Allianz GOSA, the home port should be Bremerhaven. The aim is to realize the first launch of a micro launcher from the North Sea in 2023. The German Offshore Spaceport Alliance (GOSA) includes companies such as the space and technology company OHB. Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier announced a "New Space Small Satellite Initiative". The aim is to strengthen the German space industry in a targeted manner and to put cutting-edge technology into practice. Small satellites belong to the future, said the minister in Berlin. Space is a "dynamic growth market". According to a survey by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, around 15,000 satellites will be launched into space this decade. 90 percent of these are expected to be so-called small satellites that can be launched with innovative mini-missiles. For example, data on climate and environmental protection as well as disaster control could be obtained through small satellites, said Altmaier. The state could therefore become an "anchor customer" of a launch platform. The next step is now a feasibility study, half of which is financed by the federal government. The aim is to clarify legal and regulatory issues relating to a launch platform.