Isar Aerospace rocket reaches orbit in European launch milestone
Germany’s Isar Aerospace says its Spectrum rocket deployed five satellites after launching from Norway, highlighting Europe’s push for independent access to space.
Germany’s Isar Aerospace has launched its 28-metre Spectrum rocket from Andøya spaceport in Arctic Norway, deploying five satellites in orbit.
The company said the uncrewed rocket lifted off on Saturday and that spacecraft separation was completed successfully. Isar also described the launch as the first time a privately developed rocket had reached space from Europe.
The launch comes as European governments seek to reduce reliance on foreign providers for satellite launches. Europe has lost access to Russia’s Soyuz launch services and most European satellites have been launched by SpaceX from the United States.
Isar’s first Spectrum test flight failed shortly after launch in March 2022, while a subsequent attempt was postponed several times. The company says it aims to build capacity to manufacture up to 40 launch vehicles a year.
In August, Isar said it had secured a $230 million contract from the European Space Agency to accelerate launcher development and expand launch infrastructure. The ESA has described the programme as part of an effort to encourage competition among European launch providers.
