Federal Minister Dorothea Bär Visits the WARR Student Group

In the spotlight: the EX-5. Since the invitation was issued as part of the Vehicle Presentation, the focus was on the newly developed EX-5 from the Nixus project. It is the successor to the Rocketry project, which was funded last year by the TUM University Foundation. It is powered by a liquid-fuel engine whose propellants are delivered not via pressurized tanks, as has been the case in the past, but via electrically driven pumps. This technology is otherwise used in large launch vehicles. The EX-5 is scheduled to launch later this year—to the best of our knowledge, it will be the world’s first pump-fed rocket built by students.

Also: the MOVE-IIIa satellite. At the same time, the students presented this year’s TUM University Foundation-funded project to the minister: the small satellite MOVE-IIIa, which is scheduled to launch in early 2027. The team has developed its own satellite bus (BEYOND) and a sensor for detecting space debris (DEDRA) for this project. In doing so, the project addresses one of the most pressing issues in space exploration: the growing amount of debris in Earth’s orbit.

In addition to the technical development of both projects, the students spoke with the minister about the challenges they face in finding suitable launch sites. There are very few options for student rockets in Germany and Europe. Above all, however, the conversation centered on the group’s spirit: the enthusiasm with which the members often work on their projects late into the night alongside their studies, take on responsibility early on, and gain experience that they can directly apply in the space industry.