California-based satellite manufacturer Planet Labs this week officially opened its first manufacturing facility in Berlin, with plans to launch its first German-built satellite on a German-built rocket early next year.

Speaking at an opening ceremony on Tuesday, chief executive Will Marshall said the company had secured launchers from German company Isar Aerospace from the beginning of 2027.

Planet Labs’ Earth observation technology was initially used primarily to track the effects of climate change, but its defence capabilities have grown rapidly and now make up about 60 percent of its business.

Space-based intelligence

It provides intelligence capabilities to Ukraine, in an arrangement paid for by the German government, and has also struck deals with Japan, Sweden and Germany under which governments can buy and operate their own satellites.

Earlier this month Isar launched its Spectrum rocket from Norway, deploying a payload of satellites, in the first instance of a private space company launching from continental Europe.

Planet Labs has launched 688 satellites on 42 rockets, giving it the second-largest orbital fleet after SpaceX, according to Marshall.

He said the new Berlin factory aims to produce its first satellite this year, and has a target of up to 60 units from 2027 onward.

Sovereign defence tech

It says it has invested €100 million (£86m) into European sites to date, and derives 40 percent of its revenues from European clients.

Planet Labs has had a presence in Germany for more than a decade.

The new factory opens at a time when European countries are spending more to reduce their dependence on the US for defence, a trend that began with Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has intensified amid recent political conflicts with the US.