The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is preparing to purchase 80 Red Kite solid rocket motors from German defence company Bayern-Chemie to support future sounding rocket missions.
According to a procurement notice published on 2 November, DLR plans to acquire 80 ITAR-free solid-fuel rocket motors for the agency’s Mobile Rocket Base (MORABA) team, which conducts sounding rocket missions in support of scientific research and technology demonstrations.
DLR conducted a 30-day, EU-wide market consultation to identify potential alternatives to Bayern-Chemie, which co-developed the motor with DLR. The agency determined that Bayern-Chemie was “the only qualified applicant,” adding that the “absence of market alternatives was objectively verified and confirmed.”
The value of the proposed contract and the expected delivery schedule have not been disclosed. The notice outlines DLR’s intention to award the contract, although an agreement has not yet been signed. Under German procurement rules, DLR must wait at least 10 days after publishing the direct award notice. As a result, the contract could be signed as early as 13 November.
According to a technical paper published by DLR and Bayern-Chemie researchers in April 2025, the original development agreement between the two parties called for an initial production run of 30 motors. Production of this initial batch began following a successful demonstration flight in August 2023 .
With DLR now intending to more than double its initial order, the proposed procurement represents a significant expansion of the Red Kite programme.
Red Kite was developed, in part, to reduce DLR’s reliance on foreign-manufactured propulsion systems, including motors sourced from surplus US military stocks. The motor is designed for use aboard single-stage or multi-stage sounding rocket configurations. In a two-stage configuration, it can carry payloads exceeding 400 kilograms to altitudes of at least 250 kilometres.
Following the initial qualification flight from Andøya Space in Norway, eight additional Red Kite motors have been used across six sounding rocket missions, including two launches in 2026.
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