Rheinmetall is a German technology group and a leading international systems supplier to the defense industry that is expanding into the space sector. Their focus is on utilizing space-based reconnaissance data for tactical battlefield applications, developing customized solutions for military vehicles, and integrating space technologies into the defense sector. Rheinmetall has invested in ICEYE, a SAR satellite operator, and is partnering with other companies to deliver cutting-edge space technologies to the defense sector. They also collaborate with space agencies like NASA and ESA through their Rheinmetall Italia subsidiary, providing components, structures, and services for launchers and satellites.
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ICEYE formed a joint venture with Rheinmetall that helped the joint venture secure a €1.7B contract from the German Bundeswehr.
Mynaric is the subject of an intensified bidding contest between Rheinmetall and Rocket Lab.
German defense companies OHB SE and Rheinmetall are in discussions regarding joint bids for upcoming satellite segments.
German defense primes OHB SE and Rheinmetall are in discussions regarding joint bids for upcoming satellite segments.
German defense firm Rheinmetall is considering a bid for Mynaric to keep the company under German ownership.
Rheinmetall’s stated objective in pursuing Mynaric is to keep Mynaric’s intellectual property within a German-owned defense prime and secure a domestic supply chain for laser communication terminals (OCTs).
A decision by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs on Mynaric’s ownership is expected in the coming months and will determine whether Mynaric becomes a European production hub for Rocket Lab or a space-communications asset for Rheinmetall.
Rheinmetall’s interest in Mynaric is driven by concerns about the militarization of Low Earth Orbit and the need for secure, jam-resistant communications for the Bundeswehr and the IRIS² European satellite constellation.
Rheinmetall is preparing a competing bid for Mynaric as of February 22, 2026.
ICEYE partnered with Rheinmetall to win a €1.7 billion defense contract from the German military.
Rheinmetall and ICEYE received a €1.7 billion award in December 2025 for space-based reconnaissance using their synthetic aperture radar satellite constellation.
Rheinmetall is in active talks with satellite manufacturer OHB to form a joint bid for upcoming German military space projects under this framework.
A November 2024 contract between Rheinmetall and Ukraine, supported by the German government, integrated ICEYE’s SAR data into Ukraine’s defense framework.
The €1.7 billion contract to ICEYE and Rheinmetall is approximately $2 billion in value.
Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions will provide full operations, ground station management, and AI-driven image evaluation as part of its service offering.
Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions will own the SAR satellite constellation used to provide services under the contract.
Rheinmetall partnered with ICEYE to establish the joint venture Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions to deliver the SAR capability.
Production of the first Rheinmetall ICEYE Space Solutions joint-venture SAR satellites is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026 at the company’s site in Neuss.
The contract provides ICEYE and Rheinmetall with exclusive access to a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation for the German Armed Forces.
The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) awarded a €1.7 billion contract to ICEYE and Rheinmetall to supply space-based reconnaissance data.