The first orbital rocket launch from mainland Europe took place on Sunday in Norway, but it ended in failure as the unmanned Spectrum rocket crashed into the sea just 40 seconds after liftoff. The rocket was launched from the Andøya Spaceport at 12:30 PM local time. Unfortunately, the mission was terminated less than a minute into flight.
Isar Aerospace, the German company behind the Spectrum rocket, had anticipated that the launch could be cut short. Despite the crash, the company stated that the flight provided valuable data for their team to analyze. Daniel Metzler, the CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace, expressed optimism about the mission, saying it met their expectations and marked a significant step forward.
Metzler noted that the launch had a clean lift-off and lasted 30 seconds, during which they were able to validate their flight termination system. Spectrum is designed to be a two-stage launch vehicle for deploying small and medium satellites into orbit. This maiden flight was part of Isar’s efforts to establish satellite launches from Europe.
Several European countries, including the UK and Sweden, are looking to enhance their presence in the commercial space market. Major players like SpaceX and ArianeGroup currently dominate the satellite launch industry. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, operates from the United States and also runs the Starlink satellite service, which provides global internet access.
Germany’s aerospace industry association, BDLI, emphasized the importance of Isar’s flight for Europe’s ambitions in space. The managing director, Marie-Christine von Hahn, highlighted the need for Europe to maintain its independence in space operations, especially in light of competing services like Starlink.
As Europe continues to invest in space technology, Norway, Sweden, and the UK are all working to enhance their capabilities. The SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland is preparing for its first satellite launch later this year, while Sweden’s Esrange launch site is also gearing up for future missions. These efforts reflect a growing commitment to ensuring that Europe has a strong foothold in the evolving space industry.