Space travel - Rocket launch from platform in the North Sea postponed again
A planned rocket launch from a mobile platform in the North Sea has been postponed again, according to a spokesperson for the Bremen space company OHB, who spoke to the German Press Agency on a Wednesday. The launch was originally planned for this summer. The spokesperson initially made no comments on when the launch would be rescheduled. OHB referred to missing documents from authorities as the reason for the delay. No further details were given. Technically, a launch is already possible.
OHB is part of the consortium German Offshore Spaceport Alliance (Gosa), which includes several Bremen companies. The Gosa aims to launch a small rocket from the North Sea. Initially, a suborbital demo mission was planned. Suborbital means that an orbital trajectory around the Earth is not reached.
The initiative for the project started with the German Industry Association (BDI) at its first space congress about four years ago. In a statement at the time, it was said that the increasing commercialization of space travel, also known as New Space, presents a great opportunity for Germany.
Germany will not receive a spaceport like Cape Canaveral in the USA or Baikonur in Kazakhstan. Instead, plans call for a floating launch platform, a special ship with a launch ramp. The ship's homeport is planned to be Bremerhaven. The launch site for the rocket is located in the so-called "Goose Neck" of the Exclusive Economic Zone, where Germany still has certain sovereign rights.
- Despite the repeated delays, OHB, a key player in the German Offshore Spaceport Alliance (Gosa), remains committed to their goal of Space industry advancement, using North Sea's unique location for Space travel and launching small rockets from a mobile platform.
- The German Press Agency reported that, despite missing documents from authorities, the Bremen-based space company OHB believes in the technical feasibility of the planned rocket launch, which may contribute significantly to the Science and innovation in Space travel.
- While Germany doesn't possess a ground-based spaceport like Cape Canaveral or Baikonur, the country's North Sea location has sparked initiatives, such as the use of a floating launch platform off the coast of Bremerhaven, vital for the ongoing collaboration between expert German companies like OHB and others in the Gosa consortium for Space travel development.
- With an emphasis on Commercialization of Space travel, the German Industry Association (BDI) envisioned the launch of rockets from a platform in the North Sea as an opportunity for the German Space industry, following the trend of New Space.
- The mobile platform in Germany's Exclusive Economic Zone, specifically the "Goose Neck" location, serves as a suitable location for a potential rocket launch, allowing the Gosa alliance, comprised of prominent German companies, like OHB, to realize their vision of contributing to Space travel and the future of the Space industry.
