New Space: NRW strengthens its key role as a space industry location

NRW is further strengthening its position as a hub for space technologies. International investments in industrial production of space propulsion systems, as well as the expansion of research capacities in innovative materials, are strengthening the state's technological base along the entire value chain. 

The Exploration Company (TEC) from Munich has acquired Thrustworks, a start-up based at Mönchengladbach Airport. Thrustworks specializes in the additive manufacturing of propulsion components for space applications. With the entry of TEC, which develops reusable, refuellable, and modular space capsules, manufacturing capacities at the site will be increased and the advanced production of high-performance propulsion components in NRW will be promoted. At the same time, new skilled jobs will be created.

Parallel to this, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is expanding its research capacity in the field of materials in NRW. The newly founded DLR Institute for Frontier Materials on Earth and in Space, located in Cologne, is developing material solutions and manufacturing processes for high-tech applications in aerospace and other key industries. The focus is on adaptable, resource-efficient materials that can withstand extreme environmental conditions. These materials will be used both in space and in industrial applications on Earth. Virtual development environments, predictive simulations, AI-based methods, and robot-assisted analytics accelerate development cycles and the transfer of research into application.

This development underscores NRW's ambition to play a key role in the age of commercial space travel – New Space.