How the EU is Banking on AM to Advance in the Space Race

On September 5, German space startup Isar Aerospace achieved a major milestone, for its own reputation and for the entire space industry in the European Union (EU), when it executed the first successful launch from continental Europe. Around the same time, The Exploration Company (TEC), a German-French company, announced a $450 million Series C, the largest funding round in the history of the European space industry.

Both Isar Aerospace and TEC are serious AM users, which is essentially required to compete in the industry. Meanwhile, earlier in the summer, SWISSto12, a satellite manufacturer (and metal AM specialist) based in Switzerland, landed $70 million in its own Series C. The EU is dead-set on being taken seriously in the commercial space race, and the AM industry is a major benefic