German company Isar Aerospace has secured 270 million euros in a new funding round, with the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) again participating as an investor. The capital will be used to scale up production of the Spectrum launch vehicle and expand the company's international launch capabilities.

According to the NATO Innovation Fund, the investment will help strengthen allied nations' access to their own space capabilities. Isar Aerospace already operates a launch facility at Andøya (northern Norway) and is now planning a second launch site in Canada through a letter of intent with Maritime Launch Services in Nova Scotia.

The company states that its new factory in Parsdorf, outside Munich (southern Germany), is designed to produce up to 40 Spectrum rockets per year through a high degree of automation and vertical integration.

The NATO Innovation Fund said in a statement: "Access to space has become a critical requirement for Europe's defence autonomy, and Isar Aerospace is the only private European company building the capacity needed to make this a reality for Europe and the alliance as a whole."

According to the investor, demand for Isar Aerospace's services has shifted rapidly. Over the past twelve months, the company is said to have moved from primarily meeting civilian demand to a situation where approximately 60 per cent of demand now comes from the defence sector.

The funding round is being carried out ahead of Isar Aerospace's upcoming qualification flight, with the launch window set to open in June according to the company.