From Bremen to Space

Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte visits “Polaris Raumflugzeuge GmbH” and “DSI Aerospace GmbH” 

One Bremen-based company is developing a revolutionary spacecraft, while the other company is a market leader in producing highly complex hard drives for satellites: “Polaris Raumflugzeuge GmbH” and “DSI Aerospace GmbH.” These two aeronautics and space companies, proudly bearing the “Made in Bremen” label, further reinforce Bremen’s reputation as the “City of Space.” Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte gained valuable insights into these companies during his regular business visits yesterday, Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

Polaris: How a startup aims to revolutionize space flight 
Mayor Bovenschulte’s first visit was to the startup “Polaris Raumflugzeuge GmbH.” The company is developing a truly groundbreaking spacecraft designed for transporting payloads into space. This can also serve as a hypersonic transport system. The unique aspect of this spacecraft is that it requires only a runway for take-off and no traditional launch pad, making  future space flights possible from any airport worldwide.

The spacecraft is powered by two different types of engines: conventional turbine engines for take-off and “aerospike engines”, developed by Polaris, which are ignited mid-flight to generate the necessary thrust for hypersonic flight. At an altitude of 100 kilometres, the spacecraft can deploy an upper stage with satellites at ten times the speed of sound. After a successful mission, the spacecraft returns to Earth, landing horizontally on a runway.

Founded in 2019, the company currently employs around 20 people, with plans to expand to 35 by the end of this year. Polaris has developed several smaller flight demonstrators, which have already completed over 40 successful flights in order to validate their technology and accelerate spacecraft development,.

Mayor  Andreas Bovenschulte: “Polaris is doing groundbreaking work here. If this start-up succeeds, it will revolutionize global space travel, marking a quantum leap in space technology. I am deeply impressed by the passion with which the future of space travel is being pursued here, and I wish the company and its employees all the best.”

Alexander Kopp, CEO of Polaris: “We are delighted to have hosted Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte and appreciate the recognition of our company’s innovation and potential. This visit was a fantastic opportunity to give the Mayor an insight into our current projects. We are very proud of what our small team of outstanding engineers has repeatedly achieved in a short time. Visits like this help policymakers to better understand how they can support startups in reaching their full potential while also strengthening the region’s competitiveness. It also demonstrates the local government’s commitment to fostering innovation and growth in key industries such as aerospace.”

DSI Aerospace: Hard Drives for Satellites, On-Board Computers, and Encryption Systems
Following his visit to Polaris, Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte proceeded to DSI Aerospace, one of Germany’s largest medium-sized aeronautics and space companies. Based in Bremen’s Airport City, the company develops and manufactures data processing modules, control systems, mass storage devices, and on-board computers for satellites.

Due to their rapid orbiting of the Earth, satellites cannot transmit their data to ground stations in real-time. Instead, they initially store the data locally on specialized and highly complex hard drives produced by DSI. These hard drives are sensitive to external influences such as cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures. Cooling poses a particular challenge, as heat must be dissipated through the satellite’s outer wall rather than by traditional fans as in conventional computers.

As is often the case in the aeronautics and space industry, DSI’s products are handcrafted. Every component must undergo rigorous testing before being integrated into the storage system, as repairs in space are extremely difficult.

Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte: “DSI is a market leader in developing digital electronics for the aeronautics and space industry and the only provider in Germany of mass storage devices. I believe this is something we in Bremen can be incredibly proud of. Companies like DSI are what makes us the technology hub of the North. I would like to thank you for the excellent insights and the highly interesting exchange.”

Elias Hashem, CEO of DSI, expressed: “We were thrilled to welcome Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte to DSI. During his visit, we were able to provide him with a comprehensive overview of DSI’s history, current developments, and future activities. Additionally, we had the opportunity to express our hopes for an increase in the German space budget—both for ESA and national programs. This meeting far exceeded our expectations, and we are grateful for this valuable exchange between industry and politics.”

Find out more at the Senate Press Office, German federal state of Bremen.

People (from left): Siegfried Monser, Space Coordinator; Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte, Ole Bischoff, Director Research & Development; Elias Hashem, CEO; Sebastian Brandt, Director Projects.