Rocket Lab establishes German subsidiary as European manufacturing presence expands
Rocket Lab Corporation has established Rocket Lab Germany GmbH as part of its expansion in Europe. The company is exploring opportunities to establish satellite, payload and component manufacturing in Germany, with the potential to create a regional manufacturing hub serving European customers.
Rocket Lab already has operations in Germany following its acquisition of Munich-based Mynaric AG, a manufacturer of laser optical communications terminals. Mynaric will continue to manufacture optical terminals and develop optical communications technology as part of Rocket Lab. Rocket Lab plans to apply its manufacturing and supply chain capabilities to increase Mynaric’s production capacity and efficiency for European and global customers.
The establishment of Rocket Lab Germany comes as European governments and organisations seek to increase sovereign space capabilities. Rocket Lab expects demand in Europe to include the deployment of satellites for commercial, defence and national security applications.
In addition to potential satellite and component manufacturing in Germany, Rocket Lab Germany is intended to support the provision of launch services using the company’s Electron and Neutron launch vehicles for European space programmes.
Rocket Lab is an established user of metal Additive Manufacturing and its Electron launch vehicle is powered by Rutherford engines whose primary components, including the combustion chamber, injector, pumps and main propellant valves, are additively manufactured. In May 2026, the company reported production of its 1,000th Rutherford engine, highlighting the scale at which it has industrialised AM for propulsion applications (link embed. Read Metal AM’s coverage: Rocket Lab produces its 1,000th Rutherford engine
“Europe’s space industry is undergoing a profound structural shift toward an era defined by speed, commercial agility, and absolute technical sovereignty,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Sir Peter Beck. “The demand for sovereign space capability has never been more urgent. Europe faces glaring gaps across both launch and spacecraft manufacturing. Rocket Lab Germany addresses these directly, combining opportunities for high-frequency access to space with high-volume satellite production to deploy resilient constellations on rapid timelines. With this strategic expansion, Rocket Lab is making a clear commitment to Europe that ensures the region has domestic strength to secure, defend, and discover in a rapidly evolving new space era.”
