The idea of building a rocket capable of carrying a maximum load of 1000 kilograms to an altitude of 500 kilometers with maximum efficiency was born in 2017 at TUM in the workshops of the student group WARR (Scientific Workgroup for Rocketry and Space Flight). Metzler and his team developed a small engine for a research rocket. An online video the students created about their project sparked numerous enquiries from industry.  

"That's when we realized that we had stumbled on a market opportunity. We then decided to build our own rocket – tailored to the transport of small satellites," recalls the engineer. "The idea was to improve our propulsion technology: Launch vehicles in Europe have always used different engines for the first and second stages. Our concept was to use clusters of identical engines instead. This can bring substantial savings in development and production costs."

Josef Fleischmann, Markus Brandl and Daniel Metzler – who all studied aerospace engineering at TUM – launched their Isar Aerospace startup in early 2018 with the support of TUM. The founders took part in the XPRENEURS program operated by UnternehmerTUM,  the Center for Innovation and Business Creation at TUM. The first engine component prototypes were made in the MakerSpace high-tech workshop in Garching. Seed capital was invested by UnternehmerTUM Venture Capital Partners and private investors. The new company also received support from the ESA Business Incubation Center in Oberpfaffenhofen.

After two years of development work, they have reached a key milestone: Their first rocket is now going into production. On Monday of this week, with Bavarian Minister President Dr. Markus Söder and TUM President Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Hofmann in attendance, the young entrepreneurs opened their 4500 square meter production halls in Ottobrunn. The facility is located just a few kilometers away from the Ludwig Bölkow Campus, where the TUM Department of Aerospace and Geodesy has its main headquarters.

According to Metzler, the company already has "interest worth several hundred million euros," for the planned rocket, which is 27 meters long and 2 meters in diameter. Most enquiries are from Europe. The company's workforce has now grown to 100 employees.

The first transport rocket, loaded with small satellites, is due to be launched into orbit in 2021. It will be propelled by a cluster of small engines. Cost-effective and fully automated production will be achieved through 3D printing technology. The engines will be powered by innovative light fuels that will burn cleanly and efficiently under high pressure in the combustion chambers. "In this way we achieve a high level of energy conversion," says Metzler.

If all goes according to plan, series production will then begin immediately: Isar Aeropace then plans to build 20 rockets per year.