Exotrail and Isar Aerospace have signed a multiple launch services agreement — Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle Spectrum will launch Exotrail’s spacevan™ vehicle on several launches to LEO and geostationary transfer orbits (GTO) from Isar Aerospace’s launch sites in Andøya, Norway, and CSG, French Guiana, between 2024 and 2029. With this combo of launchpads, Isar Aerospace provides access to all orbits.
With the demand for flexible and cost-efficient access to space continuing to rise, Exotrail and Isar Aerospace have partnered to break new ground in the delivery of satellites. This combination of both service offers enables customers to launch single satellites and satellite constellations and place them in the orbit of their choice to drive forward telecommunication, EO, space logistics and exploration.
With this agreement, Exotrail extends its manifest to continue to provide competitive solutions and to meet the market’s growing demand for precise satellite delivery in LEO, with specific orbital planes, inclinations and altitudes, as well as further to the geostationary orbit (GEO). Doing so, the company pursues the increase in the firm’s spacedrop™ manifest, with a stable financial framework and without compromising service flexibility. The spacevan™ vehicles will embark on the Spectrum launcher, with the possibility of flying from Isar Aerospace’s two launch facilities.
Exotrail’s tailored spacedrop™ service allows satellite operators to launch their spacecrafts into their bespoke operational orbits. Exotrail offers an integrated service by procuring access to space, integrating customers satellites onto the spacevan™ platform and performing the required operations in orbit.
Contrary to other solutions on the market, Exotrail’s spacevan™ uses space-proven, electric propulsion to increase passenger capacity and range. The versatility of Isar Aerospace’s launch offering toward specific planes and low inclinations, along with the spacevan™ performances, will allow Exotrail to deliver passengers’ satellites in any plane and any inclination, making new business models available and sustainable. Exotrail’s spacedrop™ service also helps launch service providers to extend the range of their accessible missions and optimize the filling ratio of their rocket, to increase both revenues and profitability.
Isar Aerospace underlines yet another expansion of its launch manifest and is cementing its presence as the leading private European launch service provider. Together, the two companies will further deliver on their mission to shape the European NewSpace industry.
Jean-Luc Maria, CEO of Exotrail, said, “The contract with Isar Aerospace enables us to consolidate our spacedrop™ service by offering more launch opportunities to customers looking for bespoke and competitive access to LEO and GEO orbits. We are looking forward to these flights and to building a long term, mutually beneficial partnership with Isar Aerospace and our respective customers.”
“Exotrail is one of the leading European NewSpace companies – we are delighted to welcome them on-board Spectrum’s flights and thank Exotrail’s team for the trust and confidence it has placed in us. We are proud to further expand our launch manifest and can look on a strong customer record,” said Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-Founder of Isar Aerospace.
About Exotrail
Exotrail is an end-to-end space mobility operator. The company offers customers the capability to define their space mobility need with the spacestudio™ mission analysis software, meet that need with spaceware™ onboard propulsion systems and spacedrop™ in-space mobility services, and operate the solution with the spacetower™ software. This complete mobility offering called mobilityhub™ allows satellites to optimize their deployment, increase their service performance, and reduce space pollution. Exotrail has been incorporated in 2017 and has secured over 20M€ of funding. The company has more than 20 customers in North America, Europe and Asia. Exotrail’s team is expanding quickly and consists, as of today, of +75 passionate people operating out of two locations: Toulouse and Massy (suburb of Paris) in France.
About Isar Aerospace
Isar Aerospace, based in Ottobrunn/Munich, develops and builds launch vehicles for transporting small and medium-sized satellites as well as satellite constellations into Earth’s orbit. The company was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from Technical University Munich. Since then, it has grown to more than 300 employees from more than 40 nations with many years of hands-on rocket know-how as well as experience within other high-tech industries. The company is privately financed by former SpaceX VP Bulent Altan as well as world-leading investors including Airbus Ventures, Apeiron, Earlybird, HV Capital, Lakestar, Lombard Odier, Porsche SE, UVC Partners, and Vsquared Ventures.