German startup ISAR Aerospace’s Space Rocket explodes 44 seconds after takeoff from Norway

Private companies in continental Europe are the first to launch rockets into orbit. German startup Isar Aerospace launched Spectrum Rocket from Andøya Spaceport in Norway, but the mission failed 44 seconds later when the rocket exploded.

The outage occurred less than two weeks after the startup received a launch license from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

This spectrum was part of ambitious tests by ISAR Aerospace to establish a European foothold in the satellite launch market. The flight was the first attempt at an orbital launch from the continent, and ISAR hoped to serve as a foothold for future European space missions. The rocket did not carry payloads during the maiden’s flight, but is designed to fire small and medium-sized satellites weighing up to a meter tonne.

The first orbital rocket released from mainland Europe crashes after takeoff

However, failure does not block ISAR. The company, which warned that the initial test might not be successful, emphasized that valuable data was collected during the attempt. This data is important to the company as it works to improve the system for future launches.

In response to the incident, Elon Musk was overwhelmed by reminding him of how challenging space travel is.

“Space is difficult. @spacex 4 tried to get to orbit. Perhaps you can do that with less orbit. But it becomes very difficult to achieve truly useful reusability. Only SpaceX has done it,” Musk said in X’s post.

ISAR Aerospace’s efforts will be added to the list of European players fighting for slices of the satellite launch market. Other countries, including Sweden and the UK, have also set up launch sites. For example, Swedish Esrange and British saxaboard space plants in the Shetland Islands of Scotland are preparing to launch their own rockets in the coming years.

Global competition in this space is fierce, with major players like SpaceX and France’s Arianegroup already dominating the market. In particular, SpaceX revolutionizes satellite launches with its StarLink service, providing global communication coverage.

BDLI, the German Aerospace Industry Association, reflects the importance of Europe achieving greater autonomy in space. “Europe needs to urgently secure its sovereignty in space. Elon Musk’s Starlink is not without replacements,” said Marie Kiristin von Hahn, managing director of BDLI.

The failure of ISAR highlights the difficulty of entering the competitive commercial space industry, but it also marks the beginning of an important effort for Europe to catch up. Despite the set-up, the company continues to commit to its goals and continues to see its initial test as a valuable learning experience.

Founded in March 2018 by Markus Brandl’s Daniel Metzler and Josef Peter Fleischmann, Isar Aerospace is developing Spectrum, a two-stage liquid-fueled rocket aimed at delivering 1,000 kilograms into low-earth orbit. The company takes its name from the ISAR River that flows through Munich.

The startup will build 80% of its rockets in-house and source most of its technology from local high-tech companies around Munich.