Eurockot

Eurockot. Eurockot Launch Services GmbH was a joint venture company that provided commercial launch services using the Rokot launch vehicle, a converted RS-18 intercontinental ballistic missile. The company was established as a partnership between German and Russian aerospace firms to market and operate launches primarily for European institutional and commercial customers, specializing in delivering payloads to low Earth orbit and sun-synchronous orbit. Its operations were centered at the historic Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia, with the company's headquarters based in Bremen, Germany.

History

The company was founded in March 1995 as a joint venture between Daimler-Benz Aerospace (which later became part of Astrium and subsequently Airbus Defence and Space) and the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. This partnership was formed during a period of post-Cold War cooperation, aiming to utilize decommissioned Russian military rocket technology for peaceful space access. The venture received significant political and financial backing from the German government, particularly the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, to foster technology transfer and secure independent European launch capabilities. Initial development focused on adapting the Rokot vehicle, derived from the UR-100N missile, and establishing its commercial and operational infrastructure. The first commercial demonstration flight occurred in May 2000, successfully deploying two simulated satellite payloads and marking the start of its service offerings.

Launch vehicle

The company's sole launch vehicle was the Rokot, a three-stage, liquid-fueled rocket. The first two stages were repurposed from the stockpiled UR-100N (NATO reporting name SS-19 Stiletto) ICBM, originally developed by the Chelomey design bureau, while a newly developed Briz-KM upper stage provided precise orbital insertion. The Briz-KM was a product of the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and featured a restartable engine for deploying multiple payloads into different orbits. The vehicle stood approximately 29 meters tall and had a payload capacity of up to 1,950 kilograms to a 200-kilometer low Earth orbit, or about 1,200 kilograms to a typical sun-synchronous orbit. This conversion approach was part of a broader trend exemplified by other programs like the Dnepr and Start-1 rockets, offering a cost-effective solution by leveraging existing military hardware.

Launch services and missions

The company provided dedicated and shared ride launch services primarily for Earth observation, technology demonstration, and scientific satellite missions into polar orbit and sun-synchronous orbit. Its most notable and frequent customer was the European Space Agency, for which it launched multiple missions in the Swarm and Sentinel series, including the Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-5P satellites. Other significant missions included deploying the CryoSat-2 ice-monitoring satellite for the European Space Agency and launching the GRACE twin satellites, a cooperative project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center. The company conducted its final launch in December 2019, successfully orbiting the Copernicus program's Sentinel-3B satellite from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome.

Company structure and ownership

The company was structured as a German GmbH (limited liability company) with its management and marketing headquarters in Bremen. Ownership was split evenly between the European aerospace consortium Astrium (which was integrated into Airbus Defence and Space in 2014) and the Russian state-owned enterprise Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. Day-to-day operations and mission management were handled by the team in Bremen, while launch operations, vehicle integration, and technical oversight were the responsibility of Russian partners at Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center and the Russian Aerospace Forces at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The joint venture was formally dissolved in 2022 following the completion of its contractual obligations and the cessation of the Rokot launch program.

Launch sites and facilities

All commercial launches were conducted from Site 133 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, a major military launch facility located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. The site featured a dedicated launch pad and integration facilities originally built for the UR-100N missile, which were modified to support the Rokot vehicle's commercial missions. Payload processing for European satellites was often conducted at the European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands or other cleanroom facilities before being transported to Plesetsk Cosmodrome for integration. The choice of Plesetsk Cosmodrome provided an ideal location for launching satellites into high-inclination and polar orbits, which are essential for Earth observation missions.

Category:Aerospace companies of Germany Category:Launch service providers Category:Defunct companies established in 1995