Space & Satellites defence companies in Germany

German aerospace startup developing cryogenic fluid management systems, valves, pumps and orbital refuelling technology for reusable launch and space mobility.

Builds Spectrum, a two-stage liquid-fuelled launch vehicle carrying up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit, serving the small and medium satellite market from launch sites in Norway and French Guiana.

Builds space traffic management and collision avoidance platforms that help satellite operators navigate an increasingly crowded orbit.

Designs and builds custom satellite platforms — optical, SAR and SATCOM — for LEO, delivering flight-ready satellites in under 12 months.

Custom Satellite Platform

Reflex's core offering: a bespoke LEO satellite bus designed and built around the customer's payload, whether optical imaging, SAR or SATCOM. The platform is manufactured at the Munich microfactory and can be delivered flight-ready in under 12 months. This speed is achieved through modern manufacturing methods, a vertically integrated supply chain and reusable design architecture rather than a one-size-fits-all bus.

Develops the RFA ONE small launch vehicle and Redshift orbital transfer vehicle to deliver satellites to any orbit from European spaceports.

RFA ONE

A three-stage small launch vehicle standing 30 metres tall, powered by nine Helix staged-combustion engines on the first stage. It delivers up to 1,300 kg to 500 km sun-synchronous orbit, 850 kg to 2,000 km polar orbit, or 450 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. The rocket uses stainless steel tanks with common bulkheads and automotive-grade composite interstages manufactured on in-house automated tape-laying equipment. It is offered in dedicated and rideshare configurations, with first-stage recovery planned for a future variant.

Redshift OTV

An orbital transfer vehicle that rides as the upper stage of RFA ONE and provides last-mile payload delivery to any target orbit. Equipped with a vacuum-optimised Helix engine and more than 2.5 km/s of delta-v, Redshift can perform altitude adjustments, inclination changes and phase shifts during a single mission, enabling one launch to serve multiple operators at different orbits. It is offered in multiple configurations with modular payload accommodation.

Space situational awareness using AI-driven analytics and a dedicated microsatellite constellation for in-orbit debris tracking. TU Munich spin-off backed by Safran Corporate Ventures and the European Investment Fund, in talks with NATO space commands.

Designs and operates thermal imaging satellites that give defence, national security and government customers precise, day-and-night surface temperature intelligence invisible to optical or radar sensors.

DeltaOrbit develops next-generation in-space propulsion systems using advanced cryogenic Methane/Oxygen technology. Their satellite engines provide superior agility and endurance for multi-orbit operations, interceptions, and evasions, enabling allied forces to win maneuver warfare in space.

Uses satellite imagery and AI to monitor vegetation, pipeline and supply chain risks across critical infrastructure networks.

Building Europe's first commercial Earth Observation satellite constellation for daily high-resolution monitoring. Combines multispectral satellite systems with AI-powered analytics.

Builds FEEP-based electric propulsion systems for small satellites, enabling constellation deployment, collision avoidance, station keeping and deorbiting throughout the entire mission lifetime.

Compact eavesdropping-secure satellite communication using software-defined radios and MIMO antenna technology. Universität der Bundeswehr München spin-off, winner of the CPM Innovation Award 2025.

Munich AI company building decentralized AI-agent swarms for autonomous mission planning, mesh networking and resilient satellite operations in contested environments.

Builds a distributed small-satellite constellation that detects, identifies and geolocates radio-frequency signals globally in near real time for defence and security intelligence applications.

Builds a satellite constellation and wildfire management platform that detects and tracks fires as small as 10x10 metres across 500 million hectares globally, serving fire agencies and land managers in 25 countries.

Builds fully reusable horizontal take-off spaceplanes and hypersonic vehicles for both commercial satellite launch and Bundeswehr-contracted defence applications, powered by in-house aerospike rocket engines.

Develops RF electronics, satellite frequency converters and navigation simulators with a growing defence electronics division. Selected by ESA as prime contractor for the IRIS2 secure connectivity constellation test bed.