German startup Isar Aerospace launched its Spectrum rocket from Andøya Spaceport in Norway today, marking the first-ever vertical orbital rocket launch in Western Europe.
Spectrum blasted off at 12:30 PM CEST (11:30 BST) but lost control at about 25 seconds into the flight. A video from the launch shows the rocket wobble, pitch over, and then plummet back to the ground, where it collided with the ocean, causing a large explosion. The launchpad remains intact and no one was injured, Isar said.
Drone and pad footage from Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum launch. You can see it avoided the pad when it came down. pic.twitter.com/NePozHqYad
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Despite a quick and abrupt end to Spectrum’s inaugural flight, Isar’s CEO and co-founder Daniel Metzler hailed the launch as a “great success.”
“We had a clean liftoff, 30 seconds of flight, and even got to validate our flight termination system,” Metzler said. “With this result, we feel confident to approach our second flight.”
Spectrum’s first flight carried no payload. Isar Aerospace said the aim of the launch was “to collect as much data and experience as possible.”
The 28-meter (91-foot) Spectrum is a two-stage launch vehicle designed to propel small and medium-sized satellites into orbit.
The company expects to produce as many as 40 rockets per year from its new factory, which is currently under construction outside its headquarters in Munich. Spectrum launch vehicles 2 and 3 are already in production, Isar said.
Spectrum’s inaugural flight marks the first-ever vertical orbital rocket launch in continental Europe outside Russia.
Virgin Orbit attempted an orbital launch from the UK in 2023, but the plan failed. Europe’s other rockets, Ariane 6 and Vega C, launch from Europe’s main spaceport in French Guiana, South America.
Isar Aerospace is the first private space company to use Andøya Spaceport, which officially opened in 2023. The spaceport, located close to the Arctic Circle, offers easy access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits — ideal for Earth observation and spy satellites.
Isar Aerospace signed a deal in February with the Norwegian Space Agency to launch its Arctic Ocean Surveillance (AOS) program satellites until 2028. The company looks to launch up to 15 missions per year from Andøya, at a cost of around €10mn per flight.
Opening up orbital launches from Western Europe promises to simplify logistics for European satellite operators by eliminating the need to ship payloads overseas. Access to smaller, cheaper launch vehicles that can place a single satellite in orbit could also offer a more flexible, fast, and precise alternative to ride-sharing.
Then there are the geopolitical considerations. Launching from continental Europe would reduce reliance on foreign launch providers like SpaceX, enhancing sovereign access to space amid growing geopolitical tensions.
Metzler touched on that point in a statement last week: “In today’s geopolitical climate, our first test flight is about much more than a rocket launch.”
Founded in 2018 as a spin-off from Technical University Munich, Isar Aerospace has secured €400mn to date, making it Europe’s most well-funded private space company.
While Andøya is Europe’s first continental spaceport, others are underway, the most advanced being the SaxaVord spaceport in the Shetland Islands off Scotland.
Rocket Factory Augsburg, a rival to Isar, was meant to launch from the site last year. However, the startup suffered a major setback after its rocket exploded during a static-fire test, pushing back its inaugural flight to later this year.