GOSA – An European Offshore Spaceport for Microlaunchers & Small Satellites

Europe profits from the boom of the New Space industry, a growing number of startups and small and medium-sized companies offering space infrastructure and space-based services. With HyImpulse, ISAR Aerospace, Orbex, PLD, Rocket Factory Augsburg and Skyrora, several promising microlauncher companies are located in Europe. An offshore spaceport with a well-connected on-shore site in Northern Germany enabling launch of small satellites to Polar or Sun Synchronous Low Earth Orbits provides the opportunity for this growing New Space region to develop a cluster in a future market and thereby create an economic eco system, which spans everything from the satellite manufacturer to the complete downstream application. Bremen as the German “City of Space” is the perfect host for the Spaceport: In Bremen’s aerospace sector, more than 140 companies and 20 institutes with around 12,000 employees generate over 4 billion euros per year. In 2020, the companies Tractebel DOC Offshore, MediaMobil, OHB and Harren&Partner joined their forces in the German Offshore Spaceport Alliance on the basis of their unique competencies in their respective fields of activity in maritime offshore and space projects. The concept foresees a preparation area in Bremerhaven, Germany, and a mobile launch and control infrastructure on two vessels. The fully integrated launcher is transported to the launch site in the offshore German exclusive economic zone (EEZ) where the launcher is erected and prepared for a launch. The infrastructure and the operational concept is kept flexible and agile to be able to serve different type of launchers and to offer rapid turnaround between two launches. The project has the ambitious target be ready in 2023 to offer launch possibilities for European and international microlauncher providers to serve the worldwide growing small satellite market. In September 2021, the German Offshore Spaceport Alliance GOSA signed MoUs with Skyrora, Rocket Factory Augsburg, T-Minus and HyImpulse. This paper will give an overview on the infrastructure and the operational concept, it will cover topics like airspace and maritime safety and it will show the recent progress in the implementation of the German Offshore Spaceport with regard to technical aspects