German rocket reaches space as Europe enters satellite launch race

Five satellites accompanied a German startup rocket launched from Arctic Norway, marking Europe's progress in offering satellite flights from its own soil. OSLO, September 5 - The uncrewed Spectrum rocket, operated by Isar Aerospace, was the first orbital flight originating from Europe, a region where several nations, including Sweden and Britain, aim to secure a share of the expanding commercial space missions market.

Isar Aerospace co-founder and CEO Daniel Metzler emphasized that access to space remains a major hurdle for the industry and national security architecture. The German startup successfully launched its second rocket, following an exploded first attempt in March 2025. Its latest launch, intended as both a qualification mission and a payload-carrying flight, came from Norway's Andoeya Spaceport.

Isar has secured approximately €200 million from the European Space Agency (ESA) to further develop new rockets and boost its testing and launch facilities.