In the North Sea and in Rostock: Germany dreams of the spaceport

Rockets could be launched from Germany into space in as little as one and a half years. The Federation of German Industries brings a launch site in the North Sea into play. The German Aerospace Center also suggests Rostock-Laage Airport.

Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos are the well-known rocket billionaires, but there are also several young companies in Germany that want to go into space. Isar Aerospace, Hyimpulse and Rocket Factory Augsburg are the names of the three startups whose own rockets could soon take off. But where should their mini-missiles start?

So far, Europe has had to fall back on the European Space Center Kourou in French Guiana for all launches. The spaceport is over 7000 kilometers from Germany and is designed for much larger rockets, which is why many launch sites would like to be in continental Europe. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) advocates a spaceport in the North Sea. "A launch platform for small launch vehicles would give the German microlauncher companies a German launch opportunity," says BDI space expert Matthias Wachter in the ntv podcast "Wieder was Learned" and emphasizes that a launch site would enable Germany "to directly participate in the future space market".

Indeed, this market is very promising. It is estimated that more than 8,000 small satellites will be launched into orbit worldwide in the next eight years alone. And if the BDI has its way, also from a launch platform in the North Sea. The association has presented a concept to the federal government in which a platform on the high seas would be technically feasible, strategically and economically sensible. "The idea is that we should convert a platform that is already used today for erecting wind turbines," explains Wachter. "The launchers would be brought to this platform lying in the port and then they would go out into the North Sea."

The BDI is certain that a mobile platform in the North Sea would have many advantages: maximum flexibility, sufficiently high security and no noise pollution. The missiles would be launched about 300 kilometers from the mainland. The so-called "duck's bill", as Germany's exclusive economic zone is known because of its shape, protrudes into the North Sea. "There the rocket would be erected and refueled and could take off from there. The platform would then be brought back into port and could pick up the next rocket."

Starting platform in the "duck's bill"

According to Matthias Wachter, the project would not be as expensive as one might think: "In our concept, we assume that the conversion and operation of a platform would cause initial costs of almost 30 million euros," he mentions that the federal government also spends on three kilometers of the motorway. "A floating launch platform is not rocket science. There are already comparable platforms, for example in China."

The BDI also expects a lucrative business for the potential operator or operators. The association dreams of a "German platform for Europe" which not only German "New Space" companies can use, but also companies from other European countries. "The take-offs could be financed through fees, comparable to a slot at airports," says Wachter.

Other European countries have the same dream and are eagerly looking for some kind of spaceport: Sweden also wants to build a launch pad from which microlauncher could launch their rockets into space. Portugal is planning a "spaceport" in the Azores. Outside the EU, Scotland and Norway are pressing ahead with planning.

And time is of the essence: the three German companies assume that their micro-missiles will be ready for use by 2022 at the latest. Ideally, there will also be a launch platform by then. Technically, this could be done quickly, says Matthias Wachter. The real challenge lies elsewhere: "Regulatory issues have to be clarified. This involves the use of airspace, maritime issues, shipping routes and, if necessary, agreements with people living near the North Sea." However, it is of the opinion that politics, authorities and companies could also jump over this hurdle "relatively quickly". "That can be done if everyone pulls together. I like to use the construction of the Tesla factory near Berlin as a comparison."

"Space airport" in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania?

Dirk-Roger Schmitt was involved in four space shuttle missions.

And German politics seems to be open-minded. The Federal Ministry of Economics wants to examine the BDI idea, and the state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is also pushing the topic. Schwerin recently commissioned a study from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to determine whether the perpetually deficit Rostock-Laage regional airport is suitable as a "space airport". The result of the test was positive.

Dirk-Roger Schmitt from the Institute for Flight Guidance at the DLR makes it clear in the "Wieder was haben" podcast that nobody can expect a German Cape Canaveral or Baikonur. Rostock-Laage only offers itself as a basis for horizontal take-offs and landings. "The point is that a carrier aircraft with a rocket takes off normally at the airport. The rocket has been made ready for take-off and refueled beforehand, and the payload, for example a satellite, has been installed. The aircraft would then be on a direct course Fly the North Sea or the North Atlantic and release the rocket at high altitude and launch. "

In this maneuver, known as "air launch", the last rocket stage finally reaches orbit and releases the payload, in this example a satellite, into space. So there would be no vertical rocket launch on the German mainland. Rostock-Laage would be more of an airport with a space upgrade.

2013-10-29T120000Z_1490339669_GM1E9AU0DR201_RTRMADP_3_SPACE-TAXI.JPG

One day the "Dreamchaser" could land in Rostock.

(Photo: Reuters)

This also applies to another mission variant that Dirk-Roger Schmitt plays through. "The US company Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is developing the 'Dreamchaser', which is the successor system for the Space Shuttle. We signed a cooperation agreement with the company at DLR in 2015. Since then we have also considered whether it is possible to use the 'Dreamchaser', which is launched vertically in Cape Canaveral with a rocket, to land in Germany at the end of a certain mission. " That is also conceivable in Rostock-Laage, explains Schmitt. The military airport, which is also used for civilian purposes, has a sufficiently long runway, and because of its military character, the area is largely cordoned off.

Schmitt emphasizes that a possible "space airport" in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania should not be seen as competition for the BDI's North Sea project. "Both processes complement each other and both should be implemented. The vertical microlauncher are of course also very attractive and are rightly being promoted in Germany."

The DLR is proposing a pilot mission in Rostock for 2023, so it is moving in a similar timeframe as the North Sea project. Now it is the turn of politics. German "New Space" companies would be happy if things were going high soon.

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. (tagsToTranslate) Economy (t) Space (t) Space (t) Satellite (t) North Sea (t) Rostock (t) Aircraft (t) Space Shuttle (t) Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (t) German Aerospace Center (t) BDI