German Private Rocket Spectrum Reaches Orbit in Historic European Launch
Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket from Norway, marking a historic first for a private company in continental Europe.
KEY POINTS
- Spectrum is the first privately developed rocket to reach orbit from continental Europe.
- The rocket lifted off from Andøya Spaceport in Norway, carrying six payloads.
- This was the second flight attempt following an unsuccessful test 18 months prior.
- The vehicle measures 28 meters in height and utilizes ten engines.
German space startup Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into low Earth orbit from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway. The flight marked the first time a privately developed rocket reached orbit from continental Europe.
The two-stage vehicle lifted off on Saturday evening at 10:12 pm CEST. It successfully passed maximum dynamic pressure, separated its stages, crossed the Kármán line at an altitude of 100 kilometers, and deployed its payloads.
“Today, Isar Aerospace opened space from Continental Europe.”
The rocket carried six payloads selected through the German Space Agency's Microlauncher Competition. These included educational and commercial CubeSats from universities and startups across Europe, alongside a technology experiment.
This mission was the company's second attempt after an initial test flight ended in failure 18 months ago. Measuring 28 meters tall, the Spectrum rocket is designed to carry payloads of up to 1,000 kilograms using ten engines.
Company CEO Daniel Metzler stated that commercial and institutional customers now have a genuine alternative in the global space market. Isar Aerospace aims to scale production to about 40 rockets annually to compete with established global providers.
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