German-built rocket fails just seconds after liftoff from Norway — yet Isar celebrates key data gains and vows to return stronger.
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Isar Aerospace’s maiden attempt to send its Spectrum rocket into orbit ended just 30 seconds after liftoff on March 30, with the vehicle losing control and falling back to Earth. While the mission failed to reach space, the German company is treating the flight as a successful step in its development roadmap, citing the vast amount of data gathered during the short but eventful test.
The Spectrum rocket launched at 6:30 a.m. Eastern from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway—marking the first orbital launch attempt by a commercial operator from continental Europe. The rocket initially climbed steadily before visibly losing attitude control during its pitchover maneuver, a critical phase in which the rocket transitions from vertical ascent to horizontal acceleration.
Within moments, the rocket tumbled and began descending. A flight termination system was activated, and the vehicle fell in a controlled trajectory into nearby waters. An explosion followed shortly after impact, as recorded by local media.
Despite the dramatic conclusion, Isar Aerospace’s CEO Daniel Metzler called it a milestone for the company and for European space ambitions. “We never expected to reach orbit,” he said. “The goal was to gather flight data, and we achieved that successfully. It’s a proud day for our team—and for Europe’s growing launch capabilities.”
Europe’s Private Launch Race Begins
The Spectrum is a two-stage launch vehicle designed to carry up to 1,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO) and 700 kilograms to sun-synchronous orbit. Powered by Isar’s proprietary Aquila engines, the rocket uses a combination of liquid oxygen and liquid propane, offering a unique approach in the evolving small launch market.
This test, dubbed “Going Full Spectrum,” was not only a critical debut for Isar but a key moment for Europe’s commercial space sector, which has lagged behind American and Asian counterparts in developing independent private launch capabilities.
The failure comes amid a broader European push for launch autonomy. Just days earlier, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched its European Launcher Challenge, a new initiative to support commercial rocket programs. ESA’s Director General Josef Aschbacher commented shortly after the incident:
“Rocket launch is hard. Never give up—move forward with even more energy!”
Source: SpaceNews | March 2025
Photo & Video Credit :Isar Aerospace/NASASpaceFlight.com webcast
