European private rocket startup launches satellites into orbit for the first time

German Isar Aerospace has successfully launched satellites into orbit for the first time with the Spectrum rocket, launched from Andøya spaceport in northern Norway. The company became the first European commercial operator to deliver satellites into orbit with a rocket launched from continental Europe.

The rocket launched on 5 September at 22:12 Central European Time as part of the Onward and Upward mission. It was only the second flight of Spectrum and the rocket's first mission with a payload.

Five small CubeSat satellites and one technology experiment were delivered into orbit. Among them are CyBEEsat, TriSat-S, Platform 6, FramSat-1 and SpaceTeamSat1, developed by university and private teams from Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Norway and Austria. A separate payload was the Let It Go experiment by German company Dcubed.

First attempt ended in accident

For Isar Aerospace, reaching orbit was especially important after the failed debut launch of Spectrum. During the first test flight, the rocket lost control shortly after liftoff, fell into the sea near the spaceport and was destroyed.

After that, the company made changes to the control system software and rocket design. The second flight was used as a qualification mission, during which the critical systems of Spectrum had to be verified in real flight conditions.

Europe tries to reduce dependence on external launches

The Spectrum launch matters not only for the company itself. European countries in recent years have been trying to boost their own satellite launch capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign operators.

European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said after the launch that Europe's independent access to space received a significant boost. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the successful flight the beginning of a new phase for the European space industry.

Isar Aerospace specializes in launching small and medium-sized satellites and satellite constellations. The Spectrum rocket can deliver up to one tonne of payload to low Earth orbit.

The company is already preparing to scale up launches. Five more Spectrum rockets are in production, and Isar Aerospace's long-term goal is to conduct about 40 launches per year. Besides the site in Norway, the company is developing the possibility of launches from a spaceport in Canada's Nova Scotia.

Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 near Munich. The company now has over 400 employees, and the amount of private capital raised exceeded €500 million.

Based on materials: Isar Aerospace, The Guardian