Off to the moon: Why Bavaria is planning a moonport

The European Moonport Company is not a mere spin-off, but strategically anchored in Europe's growing ambitions for the Moon. Following the recent Ministerial Council meeting of the European Space Agency (ESA), Germany has assumed a leading role and OHB will utilize this dynamic by pooling its expertise in a specialized company.

Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, is already a center for space research and development in Germany. With the new Moonport company, another center of excellence is being created there for a technology that could shape new markets and mission models in the coming decades – from launch and landing facilities to energy and communication systems, and even logistics platforms for the lunar economy.

"Large parts of the moon are still unexplored."

The initiative focuses not only on technological development, but also on a fundamental strategic question: What role should Europe play on the moon? Niklas Voigt, Head of Think Tank at OHB explains in an interview with Munich Startup:

"Large parts of the Moon remain unexplored. Open questions concern the Moon's origin, development, geology, and resources, as well as the history of the solar system. A presence on the Moon creates long-term economic, industrial, and societal benefits and provides an environment for the development of future technologies."

This clearly positions the project beyond a mere single mission. The moon is seen as a scientific platform, a testing ground for new technologies, and a potential economic area. According to Voigt, an ambitious lunar program could also "inspire new generations and attract scientific and engineering talent."

Innovation center as an “integrative hub”

The European Moonport Company is intended to serve as an innovation center for lunar future visions. Specifically, it will focus on the preliminary development of key technologies – including communication, navigation, energy technologies, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and robotics.

Voigt describes the claim as follows:

"The vision is to develop future scenarios for a long-term, sustainable lunar presence – based on the 'here to stay' principle. This requires a strongly coordinated European approach and an industrial consortium. An innovation center can serve as an integrative hub here."

This puts coordination in the spotlight: Instead of individual actors, a European ecosystem of industry, research, startups, and institutional partners should work together on infrastructure and applications. The innovation center is intended to pool resources, lay the technological groundwork, and develop strategic guidelines.

Moonport as a base for infrastructure and value creation

In the long term, a permanent landing site – a “Moonport” – is planned, which will serve as a base for infrastructure on the Moon. This includes energy supply, communication systems, mobility solutions, habitats, and protective measures. Development will proceed gradually, culminating in manned missions and a permanent presence.

For Voigt, this is also about Europe's role in international competition:

"Europe must represent and shape its own interests and values on a new strategic stage."

A European lunar ecosystem would create new value chains, expand technological expertise, and position Europe as an equal player in the global "Moon Race".

Political support from Bavaria

The project is also receiving political support. Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder emphasized in connection with the founding:

“We are space-minded! This is another step for Bavaria as a space valley for Germany and all of Europe. The aerospace industry is booming: In Bavaria, we are creating a unique ecosystem for many new jobs, now generating €12 billion in revenue and employing 38,000 people. From Bavaria, we are working in close cooperation with the federal government and the ESA. As a federal state, Bavaria will invest over €1 billion in aerospace alone by 2030 – from universities and research to startup support and simplified establishment processes for defense and aerospace companies. While others are cutting back, we are investing an extra €1 billion in research and science as part of our Hightech Agenda Bavaria. This is having an effect: Bavaria is now the number one startup state, and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) are the two best universities in the EU.”

Relevance for startups and deeptech companies

The European Moonport Company, located in close proximity to Munich's startup ecosystem, is creating a new hub for deep tech and space tech companies. Topics such as energy, navigation, robotics, and resource utilization on the moon offer potential applications for startups seeking to participate in long-term European programs.