Isar Aerospace and ESA Sign Contract to Launch a Mission Under the European Commission Horizon 2020 Program

Satellite launch service company Isar Aerospace has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch the ΣYNDEO-3 mission under the European Union’s In-Orbit Demonstration and In-Orbit Validation Programme (IOD/IOV). The launch will be carried out from Isar Aerospace’s dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space in Norway from Q4 2026. 

“Our launch manifest is filling rapidly, as our global commercial and institutional customers recognize the value of flexible, cost-effective access to space,” says Stella Guillen, Chief Commercial Officer of Isar Aerospace. “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.”  

Redwire is the prime contractor for the ΣYNDEO-3 mission and will be delivering its Hammerhead spacecraft for a launch onboard Isar Aerospace’s launch vehicle Spectrum to a low Earth orbit (LEO). The spacecraft was built and integrated at Redwire’s state-of-the-art satellite processing facility in Belgium. The spacecraft aggregates 10 innovative payloads from six countries and institutions: Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the EC. 

The IOD/IOV programme, funded by the European Union research and innovation programme H2020, aims to accelerate the deployment of new technologies through in-orbit demonstration and validation, stimulating growth of the European space ecosystem. ESA is entrusted by the European Commission for the implementation of IOD/IOV projects.  

“I am pleased to confirm the conclusion of a launch service agreement between ESA and Isar Aerospace for the ΣYNDEO-3 mission,” says Dietmar Pilz, ESA Director of Technology, Engineering and Quality. “This collaboration supports ESA’s objectives in the in-orbit demonstration and validation programme and strengthens Europe’s access to space.” 

Patrice Kerhousse, IOD/IOV Programme manager for ESA, adds: “The ΣYNDEO-3 launch service contract signature with Isar Aerospace is a key milestone for the IOD/IOV Programme. ΣYNDEO-3 is the largest spacecraft of the Programme, embarking 10 innovative European experiments. We are confident in the capability of Isar Aerospace to ensure a safe and reliable launch, bringing the mission to orbit very soon.”