Porsche produces some rocket-fast sportscars like the 911 Turbo S, but it seems to be interested in actual rockets too, as it announced a new investment in Isar Aerospace startup as reported by Automobilwoche. This proves that Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos aren’t the only ones investing in space technology, which is becoming more and more mainstream.
To be precise, the investment doesn’t come from Porsche AG, but from the Porsche Automobil Holding SE holding company which owns a controlling stake in Volkswagen AG (VW Group). This means that Porsche’s car manufacturing department which is owned by VW Group is indirectly owned by Porsche SE in this complex corporation tree. The Porsche Engineering and Porsche Design firms are also subsidiaries of Porsche SE.
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Porsche SE acquired a single-digit percentage stake in Isar Aerospace. Lutz Meschke, a member of the board in both Porsche AG and Porsche SE who is responsible for investments, said: “As an investor with a focus on mobility and industrial technologies, we are convinced that the inexpensive and flexible access to space will ensure innovations in many industrial sectors.”
Munich-based Isar Aerospace Technologies GmbH was founded in 2018 focusing on space technology and more specifically developing and producing launch vehicles for satellites. According to the company’s official website, they work on “cutting-edge rocket engineering research” and their ultimate goal is to offer “sustainable and cost-effective access to space”. Thanks to the latest financing round, the company gathered $75 million from investors including Porsche SE, with a total of more than $180 million invested to date.
Using those funds, Isar Aerospace is developing the Spectrum rocket which is expected to launch into space in 2022. The cost advantages of this rocket can be achieved thanks to a high degree of automation in the manufacturing process, allowing for cheaper transport of satellites into orbit.
What’s next? Well, how about a Tesla Roadster-rivaling Porsche 911 Turbo S with rocket thrusters?