Watch: Europe’s First Orbital Launch Ends With a Bang

Continental Europe’s initial attempt at an orbital space launch came to an unexpected end when Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket returned to Earth with a bang just 30 seconds after takeoff. The rocket crashed and exploded in the Norwegian Sea near the launch pad.

Details of the Inaugural Flight from Andøya Spaceport

The inaugural flight of the Munich-based Isar Aerospace took place on March 30, 2025, at 12:30 pm CEST, from the Andøya Spaceport, located 64 miles (102 km) northeast of Narvik, Norway. The 92-ft (28 m) high, carbon-composite rocket, powered by liquid propane/oxygen and featuring nine Aquila engines generating 16,860 lb of thrust, was designed to reach Earth orbit.

However, instead of completing its mission, the Spectrum rocket encountered an as-yet-unnamed malfunction, which appeared to cause it to wobble. The engines shut down, and the rocket flipped over before plummeting into the sea, where it crashed and caught fire.

According to the company, the flight ended in a controlled termination with no damage to the launch pad. The telemetry data collected will be analyzed for future missions, and two additional vehicles are currently in various stages of production in Germany.

CEO’s Reflection on the Test Flight’s Success

Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-founder of Isar Aerospace, said, We met all our expectations with our first test flight, and it was a significant success. We achieved a clean liftoff, 30 seconds of flight, and even validated our Flight Termination System.We’ve shown that we can design, build, and launch rockets. Furthermore, I’m incredibly proud of our team for all the hard work over the last seven years that led to this key milestone. Indeed, today, we’ve not only laid the groundwork but also positioned ourselves to meet the growing global demand for flexible satellite launch services.

Isar Aerospace’s Vision for European Technological Leadership

As a company rooted in Europe, we’re proud to demonstrate that Europe is not only capable of bold thinking but also of achieving major accomplishments. Moreover, we believe this highlights the region’s potential to lead in technological innovation and shape the future. In addition, we have all the resources needed to create globally competitive technology leaders, which will further strengthen Europe’s position in the global market.Through our services, we’ll help customers worldwide launch their satellites into space and help Europe address a critical blind spot in its security architecture: access to space.

Isar Aerospace plans to produce up to 40 of the two-stage, low-payload Spectrum rockets per year, with each capable of carrying 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) into low Earth orbit.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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