Germany's Isar Aerospace launches rocket into orbit from Norway
Germany's Isar Aerospace launched a rocket into orbit from Norway on Saturday as Europe races to boost its ability to economically send satellites into space independently of the United States.
Germany's Isar Aerospace successfully launched a rocket into orbit from Norway on Saturday, marking the first privately developed orbital launch from continental Europe, according to the company's statement on X. The 28-meter-long (92-foot-long) two-stage Spectrum rocket blasted off from Andoya Spaceport, north of the Arctic Circle, shortly after 2000 GMT.
The mission, dubbed "Onward and Upward," reached orbit around 10 minutes into the flight, though video transmission was lost after exceeding the maximum range for connection. Germany's Ministry for Research, Technology and Space hailed the milestone as a demonstration of the country's innovative strength and technical expertise.
The Spectrum rocket is designed to carry about one tonne of payload to low Earth orbit and aims to reduce Europe's dependence on the United States for satellite launches. This launch follows months of delays due to technical or safety issues, including a test flight in March 2025 that resulted in the rocket exploding upon its return to Earth.
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