Rocket Factory Augsburg, Germany, conducted a successful first test of its rocket 'RFA One' in July.Germany, a car-manufacturing giant, is eager to get into the private sector space race. It hopes to ride a boom of mini-launchers for small satellites to compete with large US companies like SpaceX.Germany is making a strong push to be a major player in the race for mini-launchers to support the growing number of small satellites that observe the Earth and provide connectivity for smart cars and the internet of things.Rocket Factory Augsburg, Germany, conducted a successful first test of its rocket "RFA One" at Kiruna, Sweden, at the end of July. The engine was ignited for eight seconds.Elon Musk's SpaceX uses the rocket's "staged-combustion" system, while Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin uses it. However, this rocket is still being rolled out in Europe.Joern Spurmann (RFA's operational director) said that it allows for "30% more payload to go into orbit".Baden-Wuerttemberg-based HyImpulse has also made waves. In May, they performed a 20 second engine test on Shetland Islands using a candle wax-based fuel. This maximized efficiency.Christian Schmierer, co-founder of HyImpulse, said that "our technology is advanced enough for the mini-launcher marketplace."Isar Aerospace is run by three directors in their 30s from just outside Munich. Although it has yet to conduct its first engine test. It is however the most financially sound of the three.The startup is supported by investors like the Swiss bank Lombard Odier and venture capitalists HV Kapital. It also has a holding company Porsche SE. In order to launch its "Spectrum", rocket, it hopes to raise more than 150m euros ($180m) in funding.Germany is a major player in the race for mini-launchers to support the growing number of small satellites orbiting Earth. Three projects have been completed.Satellite taxisIsar Aerospace predicts that mini-launcher sales will reach more than 30 billion euro by 2027. Small and medium-sized satellites will make up about a third.These small satellites weigh only a few hundred kgs compared to the larger machines that can reach 10 tonnes by Ariane rockets.A large rocket acts like a long-distance bus that drops all passengers at one stop. Christian Schmierer, HyImpulse explained that a micro-launcher is like a taxi and places satellites exactly where the client needs them.Daniel Metzler founder of Isar Aerospace says the smallest will only be 10 cm in diameter, weigh 2.2 pounds and orbit the Earth at 28,000 km/h.Costs can be reduced by reducing size and optimizing efficiency.RFA stated that "in time, we will have the ability to load 1.3 tons of material for five millions euros, which is a significantly lower price than the competition at 3,850 euro per kilo."Three German startups plan to build a fleet of 20-40 partially reusable rockets that can be used for dozens of launches each year. .Henry Ford MomentThese three German startups aim to build a fleet of 20-40 partially reusable rockets that can be used for dozens of launches each year.Subcontractors from the automotive industry, which is looking to diversify away form combustion engine cars, will supply engine parts for rockets.Spurmann said, "We want to create an Henry Ford moment for Space Travel," referring to the American industrialist who revolutionized the production of cars in early 20th-century America.But Germany is not the only country interested in this lucrative market. SpaceX has already launched mini-satellites in orbit with NASA's help, while Rocket Lab, an American competitor is leading the charge for commercial extra-terrestrial flight.China is also involved in this sector. There are half a dozen major projects in Europe, Spain included, and the UK.Carla Filotico, a German consultant in the space industry SpaceTec, stated that "the reliability of different economic models will remain a central question over the next three- to five years."She said that the "consolidation" of the sector would likely leave some companies behind.Branson's Virgin Orbit launches 7 satellites starting from a 747 plane2021 AFP
