Rostock-Laage Airport to be developed into a spaceport:
Berlin-based space company PTS launches new Spacelab at Rostock-Laage Airport

Rostock-Laage, Berlin, 31 May 2022 – Rostock-Laage Airport is taking the next step towards becoming a spaceport, the Spacelab is now being launched at Rostock-Laage Airport. As a first measure, the company PTS (Planetary Transportation Systems), previously based in Berlin, and which, among other things, holds an external development contract for the new European Ariane 6 rocket, will be working at the Hanseatic city airport with a permanent team.

An innovative spacelab will be set up at the airport, where companies like PTS can test and prepare lunar vehicles, spaceships and technologies for outer space, for example. The research facility will also be open to other companies and thus attract even more researchers to Rostock-Laage Airport. In the near future, tests with drones are also planned – for example on aspects of reduced and low-gravity environments.

In the next twelve months, a large number of additional highly qualified scientific jobs for researchers and engineers will be created at the PTS company alone in order to expand the Spaceport. Under the new private management by the Zeitfracht Group, the expansion of the airport site into a Spacetec research facility was also a central element in the future strategy for the airport, which is used partly privately and partly by the military.

PTS’s planned extensive test environment for its own lunar rover developments is being built in northern Germany with the highest standards of professionalism and authenticity for the challenges of space. Lunar rovers are vehicles that can be used to automatically transport material on the lunar surface; PTS had already developed the first functional lunar rovers years ago. The vehicles are an important element in further research and, of course, in the preparation of a possible settlement on Earth’s satellite, the Moon. This test environment will also be available for rent and sub-lease to external companies. The perfect logistical connections via air, sea and land make this lunar landscape extremely attractive for international research institutions as well.

The company will also locate the final production of satellite and space components in Rostock. In addition, facilities are still being planned that will enable simple tests in microgravity, the greatly reduced force of gravity. The plan is to position Rostock-Laage as a market-leading spaceport and the first port of call for commercial and national space research, even beyond Germany.

The research company PTS will also be present at Rostock-Laage Airport as an important hub in the heart of Europe with another, earth-based business segment: With the new business unit IoT Logistics, which has developed a container monitoring system called CLAM. In addition to constant location determination, it also enables the complete monitoring of a freight container right down to the individual unit loads in the container. The CLAM system is being further developed in Rostock, where the scientists are also continuing to research logistics solutions in the areas of IoT, robotics, artificial intelligence and big data.

Airport Managing Director Maren Wolters: „For people, an airport is usually a stop on their journey. In Rostock-Laage, however, we have the unique opportunity to provide many people a professional home. We look forward to being inspired by many scientists who will soon be working intensively and creatively on the future of us all here at our airport.“

André Radloff, Managing Director of PTS: „For us, the development of Spaceport Rostock Laage is a unique opportunity with a strong potential for the future. We will benefit greatly from the proximity to the renowned universities of Rostock and Greifswald. Motivated students and graduates will have the opportunity to work with us to tackle practice-relevant challenges together with experienced scientists and engineers.“

About Planetary Transportation Systems: As a close partner of the Zeitfracht Group, PTS offers cost-effective and reliable space technology. The company aims to develop and establish infrastructure and exploration missions in space. With its team of engineers, PTS offers contract and development services in the aerospace sector, among other things. Customers include commercial clients as well as space agencies.

About the Zeitfracht Group: The Zeitfracht Group is a third-generation family business with more than 6,300 employees. The company is primarily active in logistics and trade (www.zeitfracht.de).