Irish startup SUAS Aerospace has signed an agreement with T-Minus to perform Ireland’s first commercial rocket launch.
SUAS Aerospace was founded in 2022 with the goal of developing a commercial launch facility on Irish soil capable of supporting suborbital and orbital rocket launches. To date, the company has raised an initial €1.1 million investment to begin work on its launch facility. In March, the company announced that it aimed to raise €5 million in seed funding, targeting US investors to contribute to this initial round.
On 23 October, SUAS announced that it had partnered with T-Minus Engineering to launch its Pathfinder mission by late 2025. T-Minus Engineering is based in the Netherlands and offers a range of solid-fuel suborbital sounding rockets for research and testing applications.
T-Minus will provide its Dart rocket for the launch. Dart stands at 3.5 metres and is capable of carrying payloads of up to 3.5 kilograms to a maximum altitude of 200 kilometres.
“As T-Minus seeks new opportunities outside the Netherlands due to space restrictions, the Pathfinder project presents a unique solution and will support our further expansion across Europe,” explained T-Minus CEO Hein Olthof. “The establishment of new launch sites, such as Ireland, will encourage harmonization of launch operations within Europe, mainly in regulations, which in the end leads to better and more efficient legislation.”
SUAS will be responsible for the “logistics of the launch,” which will include site acquisition and licensing.
“The Pathfinder mission is a significant milestone for Ireland’s space program,” said Rory Fitzpatrick, CEO of SUAS Aerospace. “It will not only demonstrate the country’s technical capabilities but also contribute to economic growth and job creation.”
Reading between the lines of a 23 October press release, SUAS appears to be positioning the Pathfinder project as a means to strongly encourage state support for its efforts.
“Offering cost-effectiveness, easy access by sea and air, and a large safety zone over the Atlantic Ocean, the west coast location will establish Ireland’s position in the European launch market and encourage state support for space infrastructure to capitalise on this once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
