Satellite launch service company Isar Aerospace receives its permit for the first flight. On Friday, 14 March the company was granted the Launch Operator License by the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for its first test flight from Andøya Spaceport. Subject to weather, safety, and range infrastructure, the company is preparing to conduct the first test flight of its Spectrum launch vehicle under this permit, with a launch period beginning on 20 March 2025.

Mission ‘Going Full Spectrum’: first flight of an orbital launch vehicle from continental Europe

Isar Aerospace’s first test flight will lift off from Andøya Spaceport in Norway. With the mission ‘Going Full Spectrum’, Isar Aerospace will conduct the first flight of an orbital launch vehicle from continental Europe. The first test flight will not include any customer payloads. “We are approaching the most important moment of our journey so far, and I would like to thank all our team, partners, customers, and investors who have been accompanying and trusting us,” says Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace. “In today's geopolitical climate, our first test flight is about much more than a rocket launch: Space is one of the most critical platforms for our security, resilience, and technological advancement. In the next days, Isar Aerospace will lay the foundations to regain much-needed independent and competitive access to space from Europe.”

Objective of first mission: collecting as much data and experience as possible

With the first test flight, Isar Aerospace aims to collect as much data and experience as possible. The company’s Spectrum launch vehicle was designed, developed, and built almost entirely in-house. For Spectrum it is the first fully integrated test of all systems. “Our goal is to test every component and system of the launch vehicle”, says Alexandre Dalloneau, Vice President Mission and Launch Operations at Isar Aerospace. “No matter how far we come with this test flight, Mission ‘Going Full Spectrum’ will be a reason for our entire team to be very proud, a success for Isar Aerospace and our close partner Andøya Spaceport, and a huge step forward for European access to space.”

The test results will feed into the iterations and development of future Spectrum vehicles, which are being built and tested in parallel.

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