According to a proposal from the Federation of German Industries, Germany should launch its space technology field by establishing a mobile micro launch platform in the North Sea, which can send national security payloads into orbit.

At the end of summer, this idea began to rise as the industry association published its own ideas in a report and began dialogue with government agencies including the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense.

This plan is one of several micro launch sites planned or developed throughout Europe, primarily for commercial purposes. Supporters say that it is possible to enter the spaceport in a short period of time, which is prepared for small payloads and low-cost operations. This is a necessary condition to motivate companies to stay in the country, as the United States and other countries are trying to attract German space talents to go abroad.

But there is also a political reason. NATO announced last year that space would be an operational area, and it hopes to expand its footprint on Earth, weighing proposals from France and Germany to establish an alliance sponsored center of excellence at the base.

Matthias Wachter, who leads the defense and space practice of the German industrial lobbying organization, said, "If the government supports this goal, it will increase Germany's chances of hosting the center

He believes that in addition, Berlin will be able to provide micro launch capabilities to NATO and the European Union, thereby contributing to the high-tech defense ecosystem that Europeans urgently desire.

HyImpulse Technologies is a promising companyMicro Launch CompanyIts headquarters is located in a small town between Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Isar Aerospace Technology Company located south of Munich; And the rocket factory in Augsburg, Bavaria.

These three companies will participate in a 25 million euro (29 million US dollars) competition organized by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. Officials here are seeking the American model of Elon Musk's SpaceX, hoping to make space launch services a commercial activity that the government can purchase as needed.

Ministry of Economic Affairs Aviationspace flightThomas Jarzombek, the leader of the venture capital portfolio, said in July this year, "We are entering an unknown field and competing with it. We place our hopes on competition, private financing, and private risk. The government should no longer develop everything alone, but should increasingly purchase services from startups

The German Industrial Association hopes that the civilian sector will adopt the concept of micro launch - from communication to space environment monitoring - which will open the door for defense applications.

This is a great and exciting market, "said Wacht, adding that the biggest beneficiary will be the German military.

The public debate on Germany's use of space platforms to achieve national security goals has not yet begun. If another high-tech defense topic is any guide - the use of drones and artificial intelligence in warfare - the proposal for militarizing space is full of negative implications and may take several years to complete.

At the same time, the Ministry of National Defense is also on alert.

The Ministry of Defense is very familiar with BDI's proposal, "a spokesperson said in an interview with Defense News, using the abbreviation of the German Industrial Group. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, as the leading agency, is coordinating with other departments to evaluate it. The analysis has not produced any results yet

The spokesperson also said, 'From the perspective of the Ministry of National Defense, micro launchers are suitable for use in orbit.'carrySmall payload. At the same time, it must be acknowledged that there is currently no military requirement to establish a spaceport

This attitude will make France - Germany's favorite political partner and industrial rival - enter the European continentSpaceThe main role. France has a well-developed space infrastructure. However, as the launch site is located on the overseas territory of French Guiana in South America, this device is aimed at heavy, high-power operations that go against the promise of micro launch.

The spaceport program of this German industrial group envisions using ships to tow the launch pad to the farthest end of Germany's exclusive economic zone. There, outside the Dogbank sandbar, in a particularly shallow part of the North Sea, industrial analysts believe it is the best location to launch rockets into space, squeezing spacecraft across the Norwegian coastline and moving towards polar or sun synchronous orbits.

The industrial organization acknowledges that "establishing launch platforms in Germany is not a technical issue, but a political issue, " but states that "the decision to support German launch sites will represent a strategic investment that aligns with Germany's desire to become a high-tech, progressive industrialized country