Andøya teams up with Rheinmetall to enhance European space capabilities
This alliance will provide regular commercial launch services and flexible, rapid response capabilities from the European mainland. It will also offer Tactical Responsive Launch (TacRL) capabilities, ensuring secure and resilient operation of satellites with expedited reaction times.
Norway’s Andøya Space and Rheinmetall Nordic have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) in order to enhance mutual commercial capabilities for civil and military space operations. The purpose of this partnership is to respond to increasing security demands in Europe by rapidly deploying satellites and space assets.
Andøya Space and Rheinmetall will be focusing on closing gaps in the satellite and launch-related value chain at Andøya, Norway. This alliance will provide regular commercial launch services and flexible, rapid response capabilities from the European mainland. It will also offer Tactical Responsive Launch (TacRL) capabilities, ensuring secure and resilient operation of satellites with expedited reaction times, according to a media release.
Hence, the connection between Andøya Space and Rheinmetall will be essential for upholding the strategic military and civil space infrastructure of Germany, Norway as well as of NATO member states and other strategic partner countries. Both companies have confirmed to ensure strategic autonomy, increased responsiveness, faster deployment of new capabilities, and operational advantages in the geopolitical climate.
“This Letter of Intent is a significant milestone for Andøya Space,” said Troels Sandreid, President of Andøya Spaceport. “By bundling expertise and infrastructure, we are aiming at reinforcing Europe’s ability to respond swiftly and securely to emerging civil and military space demands.”
“Looking at the development of European space capabilities, the collaboration with Andøya Space will be a decisive factor concerning our assortment for the civil and military sector. We are very much looking forward to working together,” said Thomas Berge Nielsen, CEO of Rheinmetall Nordic.
Aligning these two companies is an important step towards completing the Andøya space-value-chain and of developing state-of-the-art facilities and services on European soil. Andøya Space and Rheinmetall are determined to offer these services to customers for commercial conditions, ensuring the successful execution of TacRL missions and regular launch services, the media release said.
