Munich-based launch service provider Isar Aerospace has signed a significant contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch the ΣYNDEO-3 mission, a cornerstone project of the European Union’s In-Orbit Demonstration and In-Orbit Validation (IOD/IOV) Programme. The launch is scheduled for Q4 2026 from Isar Aerospace’s dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space in Norway.
This agreement marks a pivotal moment for Europe’s evolving space sector, highlighting the growing reliance on commercial launch partners for sovereign space access. “ESA’s and the European Union’s growing trust in Isar Aerospace for new missions underscores how institutions are recognizing the importance of partnering with commercial innovators to jointly build sovereign space capabilities for Europe,” stated Stella Guillen, Chief Commercial Officer of Isar Aerospace. She added that the company’s launch manifest is filling rapidly due to demand for flexible, cost-effective access to space.
The ΣYNDEO-3 mission itself is a major collaborative European effort. Redwire, acting as prime contractor, built and integrated the Hammerhead spacecraft at its advanced facility in Belgium. The spacecraft is the largest within the IOD/IOV Programme and will carry a remarkable 10 innovative payloads from six contributing entities: Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the European Commission. Once in low Earth orbit (LEO), these payloads will undergo critical testing and validation.
Funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the IOD/IOV initiative is designed to de-risk and accelerate the deployment of new space technologies, thereby stimulating growth across the European space ecosystem. ESA is tasked by the European Commission with implementing these projects.
Dietmar Pilz, ESA Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality, confirmed the collaboration: “This launch service agreement supports ESA’s objectives in the in-orbit demonstration and validation programme and strengthens Europe’s access to space.”
Echoing this sentiment, Patrice Kerhousse, IOD/IOV Programme manager for ESA, highlighted the mission’s importance: “ΣYNDEO-3 is the largest spacecraft of the Programme… We are confident in the capability of Isar Aerospace to ensure a safe and reliable launch.”
The mission will fly on Isar Aerospace’s two-stage, liquid-oxygen and kerosene-powered launch vehicle, Spectrum, which is designed to deliver up to 1,000 kg of payload to Sun-synchronous orbit. This contract represents a key validation for the German startup as it progresses toward its inaugural launch.
