Germany’s Isar Aerospace launched its 28-metre-long Spectrum rocket into orbit from the Andøya spaceport in Arctic Norway at 10:12pm local time on Saturday, carrying and deploying five satellites.
The uncrewed rocket reached an altitude of 100km in less than four minutes. Isar Aerospace said spacecraft separation was completed successfully and described the flight as the first time a privately developed rocket had reached space from Europe.
Why the launch matters to Europe
Europe has struggled to send satellites into orbit with its own launch technology after cutting ties with Russia’s Soyuz rockets. Most European satellites have instead been launched by SpaceX from the United States.
The flight comes as Europe backs a new generation of small commercial launchers intended to provide cheaper satellite launches in the future.
Key points
- Isar Aerospace’s first test flight, in March 2022, ended when the rocket fell into the sea and exploded 30 seconds after launch.
- A second launch planned for January was postponed several times.
- The company said Europe launched eight rockets last year, compared with 198 launches by the United States.
Isar Aerospace’s planned expansion
Isar Aerospace aims to develop the capacity to manufacture up to 40 launch vehicles per year. For additional context, see “Laura Grego discusses satellites, nuclear risks, and the evolving battle for control of space”.
The company said in August that it had signed a $230m contract with the European Space Agency to accelerate launch-vehicle development and expand launch infrastructure. ESA space-transportation director Géraldine Naja said the milestone would begin the European Launcher Challenge, designed to encourage competition among European launch providers.
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