Isar Aerospace, a satellite launch service company, has become the first European commercial space company to launch an orbital rocket from Continental Europe. In the first test flight of the company’s Spectrum launch vehicle from Andøya Spaceport in Norway, Isar Aerospace met its set goals: After ignition of its first stage, Spectrum successfully lifted off at 12:30 PM CEST for its first test flight lasting approximately 30 seconds. 

This allowed the company to gather a substantial amount of flight data and experience to apply on future missions. After the flight was terminated at T+30 seconds, the launch vehicle fell into the sea in a controlled manner. Due to strict safety procedures from both Isar Aerospace and Andøya Spaceport, the safety of all personnel involved was ensured at all times.

“Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success. We had a clean liftoff, 30 seconds of flight and even got to validate our Flight Termination System," said Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-founder of Isar Aerospace. "We demonstrated that we can not only design and build but also launch rockets. I could not be prouder of our entire team for working so hard over the past seven years to reach this important milestone. Today, we laid the foundation to cater to the rising global demand for flexible satellite launch services. Now it’s time to analyze all data, learn, iterate and be back on the launch pad as soon as possible”.

“As a company with European roots, we are proud to have shown that Europe has an enduring capacity for bold thinking and grand achievements. We have all resources to create globally competitive technology leaders. With our services, we will be able to serve customers from around the world to bring their satellites into space and to help Europe solve a major blind spot in its security architecture: access to space.”

Data analysis started, results and experience will be applied to future missions

After a successful liftoff and approximately 30 seconds into flight, the vehicle was terminated and fell into the sea in a controlled manner. The launch pad remained intact. Isar Aerospace will now analyze the data and results it obtained from the first test flight to determine the root cause and iterate the systems of its Spectrum launch vehicle for future missions.

Launch vehicles #2 and #3 already in production

Launch vehicles for the second and third flight of Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum are already in production. Along the approach of full vertical integration, Isar Aerospace develops, produces and tests almost all components of its Spectrum launch vehicle in-house. The company also relies on highly automated series production. In its new headquarter near Munich, Germany, Isar Aerospace will be able to produce up to 40 Spectrum launch vehicles per year in the future. This approach enables maximum flexibility, independence and cost efficiency. By quickly implementing the knowledge gained from this flight, Isar Aerospace ensures that it can offer customers launch services as quickly as possible and stabilize its launch cadence.

Bulent Altan, Isar Aerospace Chairman and former SpaceX executive, congratulated the Isar Aerospace team: “The Isar Aerospace team did a fantastic job. This test flight met our expectations for a first launch with a completely clean slate design, in every way. As I have experienced before, it normally can take a few attempts to reach orbit, yet after the test flight, I am very confident that Isar Aerospace will be one of the fastest to do so. This test flight is a major success for Isar Aerospace, and the space industry more broadly. Current satellite launch service capacities are limited and concentrated. With a payload capacity of 1,000 kg, Isar Aerospace is proving to be a real solution for most of the global market demand for flexible and cost-efficient launch services, especially since Isar Aerospace has not only built a rocket, but an entire rocket production system.

Isar Aerospace values its strong relationship with Norway. Together with Andøya Spaceport, Isar Aerospace has created the first orbital launch site in Continental Europe. Recently, the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA) signed a contract with Isar Aerospace to launch its Arctic Ocean Surveillance (AOS) program satellites. The Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) became the first civil aviation authority in Europe to grant a Launch Operator License for a test flight of an orbital launch vehicle from Continental Europe.

“Takk, Norge, Andøya Spaceport, and the Andøya community for being our trusted partners on this journey. With Norway, its institutions and people we found trustful and bold allies to help create sovereign and flexible access to space”, said Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-founder of Isar Aerospace.

Click here to learn more about Isar Aerospace's Spectrum Launch Vehicle