German aerospace and defence manufacturer Rheinmetall has signed a Letter of Intent with the municipality of Andøy for the establishment of a new satellite test facility in Norway.
Signed through its subsidiary Rheinmetall Nordic on 17 April, the agreement outlines both parties’ intent to move forward with leasing a suitable plot of land, securing zoning approvals, and obtaining the necessary planning permissions required for construction to begin. While the announcement states that Rheinmetall has “exclusive rights to a designated area in Andøy,” the project, called the Rheinmetall Integrated Process Facility, remains subject to a final investment decision by the company in Germany.
“The project represents significant industrial development, new opportunities for our community, and further strengthens Andøya’s position as a leading hub for space and defence-related activities,” said Mayor Kjell Are Johansen, highlighting the project’s importance to the municipality. “We look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation with Rheinmetall Nordic and supporting the next steps toward their planned space investment in Andøy.”
Over the last year, Rheinmetall appears to be positioning itself to be a leading European satellite manufacturer.
In November 2025, the company announced the establishment of a joint venture with Finland’s ICEYE, based in Neuss, Germany, called Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions. Rheinmetall is the majority shareholder in the new enterprise, holding a 60% stake. At the time, the company explained that the move was part of the company’s efforts to strengthen its “activities in the space sector.”
In December 2025, just a month after its formation, Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions secured a €1.7 billion contract from the German armed forces to deliver space-based reconnaissance data through exclusive access to a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation. Production of the first satellites for this dedicated constellation is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026 from the company’s facilities in Neuss.
Rheinmetall’s partnership with ICEYE is not a one-off either. Earlier this month, German antitrust authorities approved the creation of a joint venture with OHB that the pair will use to bid on a German armed forces public procurement contract, likely for the construction of one of several constellations the country is looking to build. This multi-constellation effort is part of the country’s commitment to spend €35 billion in spending on space-related defence projects by 2030.
As its production capacity ramps up in Neuss, it’s unclear whether the Andøy testing facility will be part of that industrial roadmap or whether the company has yet more joint ventures planned.
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