The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed its first three contracts under its ‘Boost!’ programme, intended to encourage the development of commercial space transport services in Europe and to support equivalent national programmes in its member States. Boost! was authorised in November last year at the ESA ministerial council meeting known as Space 19+. 

The call for proposals for Boost! was opened in April, and will remain open continuously until 2022. Currently, Boost! is programmed to continue until the last quarter of 2022. Under the programme, ESA (which is not part of the European Union) will provide co-funding and expert advice, as well as access to test facilities.

The first three companies to be awarded Boost! contracts are all German. They are HyImpulse Technologies, located in Neuenstadt am Kocher in the state of Baden-Württemberg; Isar Aerospace Technologies, based in Munich, Bavaria; and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), in Augsburg, also in Bavaria. All three are developing small launch rockets to put small satellites into low Earth orbit.

“It is great to see this high level of entrepreneurship in Germany, targeting new commercial launch services for small payloads,” enthused ESA Commercial Space Transportation Programme manager Thilo Kranz. “Boost! offers tailored support at the pre-commercial phase to help these companies to succeed with their business and technical objectives.”

HyImpulse is developing a small three-stage launch rocket, designated SL1, which will use green hybrid propulsion, with liquid oxygen and paraffin as its propellants. ESA’s Boost! contract will assist the enterprise to complete its initial design solutions and verification plans, for all the essential components of the launch system. It will also support the development of the requisite ground support equipment, as well as the testing of key subsystems.

Isar’s ‘Spectrum’ rocket will be a two-stage launch vehicle. The company is receiving initial support from ESA’s Business Incubation Centre Bavaria, and the contract will help support the development of the rocket’s reaction control system. It will also support the definition and establishment of the assembly line for the Spectrum, at Isar’s Ottobrun facility.

RFA is supported by two other German businesses, venture capital investor Apollo Capital Partners and satellite manufacturer OHB. RFA is developing a three-stage rocket, named RFA ONE, which will be fitted with an orbital stage. This launch vehicle will employ cutting-edge staged-combustion engine technology for its main power plants. Under the ESA contract, RFA will get support in the detailed design, manufacture and test of the RFA ONE first stage demonstrator.