Rocket Lab Opens German Subsidiary to Build Satellites in Europe

Rocket Lab has formed Rocket Lab Germany GmbH, a Munich-based subsidiary that will manufacture satellites, payloads, and components inside Europe. The move is intended to capture growing demand for sovereign space capability as European governments and companies look to launch constellations without relying entirely on foreign suppliers.

The new entity builds on Rocket Lab's earlier acquisition of Mynaric AG, a Munich-based maker of laser optical communications terminals. Mynaric continues producing those terminals under Rocket Lab ownership, and the company says it is already applying its manufacturing and supply chain expertise to increase production scale for European and global customers.

Rocket Lab Germany will aim to support domestic satellite and component production while also offering launch services on Rocket Lab's Electron and Neutron vehicles. The company cited Europe's push for strategic autonomy in space as a direct driver for the expansion, and pointed to thousands of satellites expected to launch over the next decade for commercial, defense, and national security programs.

Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, said Europe faces glaring gaps across both launch and spacecraft manufacturing. He described the German subsidiary as a way to combine high-frequency access to space with high-volume satellite production, giving European customers a domestic source for resilient constellations on rapid timelines.

Why satellite manufacturing in Europe matters

Most satellite production today is concentrated in the United States, with some additional capacity in the UK, France, and Germany. European governments have been trying to change that balance for years, partly because defense and intelligence customers want hardware they can source without crossing the Atlantic, and partly because they want to keep aerospace jobs and intellectual property closer to home.

Rocket Lab already has launch operations in New Zealand and the United States, and it has flown satellites for European customers before. Building a dedicated manufacturing hub in Germany changes the equation, because it lets the company offer an end-to-end service: satellites built in Munich, launched from either the US or eventually from UK and Canadian sites, and operated by European ground crews.

The practical impact will depend on how fast the factory ramps. Rocket Lab has not disclosed a production target or a hiring timeline for the Munich facility. If it can match the cadence it has achieved with Electron launches, the subsidiary could become one of the larger Western satellite assembly lines outside the US within a few years.