Isar Aerospace has launched Europe’s first entirely commercial orbital rocket into low Earth orbit, marking a breakthrough for the continent’s private space industry.
The German company’s two-stage Spectrum vehicle lifted off from the Andøya spaceport in Norway, succeeding after an earlier attempt in March ended about 30 seconds into the flight when the rocket crashed into the sea and exploded.
Isar said the achievement gives European commercial and institutional customers an alternative to relying on launch providers backed by national governments.
“Today, Isar Aerospace opened space from Continental Europe,” the company said. “Launch continues to be the largest bottleneck for the global space industry and from today on, there is a true alternative for commercial and institutional customers … Europe now has sovereign access to space. We have entered into a new chapter for European spaceflight.”
European countries have until now depended largely on Arianespace and Italy’s Avio, both of which receive substantial government support. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also cut Europe off from Soyuz rockets, which had previously provided another route into orbit.
The result is particularly significant as European governments seek greater independence in space amid uncertainty over the reliability of the United States as a partner. The European Space Agency has made purchasing from European providers a central part of its policy.
