Credit: Isar Aerospace
German rocket builder Isar Aerospace has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch a mission for the European Union’s In-Orbit Demonstration and In-Orbit Validation (IOD/IOV) programme.
Isar Aerospace launched the inaugural flight of its 28 metre, two-stage Spectrum rocket on 30 March, with the flight ultimately ending less than a minute after it thundered off the launch pad. In early November, the company announced that it had transported the stages for its second Spectrum flight to the launch site in Norway as it prepared for attempt number two.
On 1 December, Isar Aerospace announced that it had signed a contract with ESA to launch the ΣYNDEO-3 mission as part of the IOD/IOV programme. The agreement represents the third distinct ESA–EU joint programme for which Isar Aerospace has been brought in to provide launch services. In August, the company secured two contracts under ESA’s Flight Ticket Initiative, and in September, it signed a launch service agreement with R-Space as part of ESA’s Marketplace programme.
“ESA’s and the European Union’s growing trust in Isar Aerospace for new missions underscores how institutions are recognizing the importance of partnering with commercial innovators to jointly build sovereign space capabilities for Europe,” said Isar Aerospace CCO Stella Guillen.
The IOD/IOV programme is a European Commission initiative managed by the European Space Agency that aims to accelerate the maturation of new European space technologies by providing flight opportunities. Through the programme, selected experiments or ready-to-fly satellites receive support for aggregation, launch, and up to one year of in-orbit operations.
Redwire is acting as the prime contractor for the ΣYNDEO-3 mission, providing its Hammerhead satellite platform. The spacecraft will carry 10 separate payloads from the European Commission and institutions in Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Luxembourg. The satellite will be built and integrated at Redwire’s facility in Belgium. According to Isar Aerospace, the mission is expected to be launched no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2026.
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