Bremen Gosa consortium plans rocket launch from the North Sea

What was planned was a so-called suborbital demo mission. Suborbital means that Earth's orbit is not reached. In such a demonstration flight, the main focus is to test whether the launch ramp, rocket, and logistics function reliably on the high seas. „Die Unternehmen tüfteln dafür an einer schwimmenden Startplattform, also einem Spezialschiff mit Startrampe,“ according to dpa.

Background: Suborbital demo mission and floating launch ramp

The intended launch point for the rocket was to be located in the so-called "duck's bill" of the German Exclusive Economic Zone, where Germany still holds certain sovereign rights. In this North Sea region, the legal framework for rocket launches is comparatively manageable. However, the region is not the only conceivable location. „Neben der Nordsee seien weitere mögliche Standorte für den Start im Gespräch,“ it says. Future missions could therefore also be moved to other waters. „Da ist sicherlich der ganze Atlantik im Blick. Denkbar sei auch ein Start in Äquatornähe."

The ship's home port was originally to be Bremerhaven. From there, the special vessel would have set out into the North Sea to take the rocket on board and launch it at sea. This would have indirectly made Bremen the starting point for commercial and scientific mini-missions into space – a side effect of some economic and political interest for the location.

Location and logistics: From the duck's bill to Bremerhaven

However, the rocket launch has had to be postponed several times in the past. „Zuletzt sollen Unterlagen von Behörden gefehlt haben,“ dpa reports. Which permits are specifically pending is not publicly known. „Wann der Start nachgeholt werden soll, bleibt offen." This increases the uncertainty about when the first demonstration flight will actually take place.

Regardless of the delays, OHB CEO Marco Fuchs remains confident. „Ich bin sicher, dass das auch in die Tat umgesetzt wird,“ said Marco Fuchs, CEO of the Bremen-based space company OHB. His company is part of the Gosa consortium. He is also unfazed by the delay in the authority documents: „OHB-Chef Fuchs glaubt aber weiter fest an das Projekt."

Regulatory hurdles and open questions

Technically, a launch has long been possible, OHB reportedly assured. The company thus assigns responsibility for the postponement more to the responsible authorities than to its own engineering department. If the permit situation is clarified, the demonstration flight could, in the view of those involved, take place at short notice.

In the long term, the project aims to give Europe more flexible and potentially cheaper access to space. Mobile launch platforms at sea are a trend in other regions as well, because they are more independent of populated areas and existing infrastructure. With a functioning ship, Bremen could become a hub for commercial spaceflight in Northern Europe – provided the authorities give the green light.