After months of delays, Germany’s Isar Aerospace rocket successfully reaches space

After months of delays, Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket reached space on its second test flight, marking a breakthrough for the Bavarian start-up and a significant moment for Europe’s space industry.

The rocket lifted off from Norway’s Andøya spaceport at 10:12 p.m. After about four minutes, according to commentators on the live broadcast, it reached an altitude of roughly 100 kilometers, the Karman line commonly used as the boundary of space. The broadcast showed the first stage separating. The ground video feed cut out after 10 minutes when the rocket exceeded the connection’s maximum range.

It was a marked improvement over the company’s first attempt in March 2025, when the rocket crashed after only 30 seconds. The second test flight had already been postponed four times. A faulty valve delayed the original January launch, while a Norwegian fisherman’s boat entered the maritime safety zone during the next attempt in March. Preparations were halted in April because of a leaking pressure vessel, and another problem emerged in June.

Spectrum carried five scientific satellites from several universities and a scientific experiment. It was not immediately clear whether the satellites had been deployed successfully into orbit. Isar Aerospace says it plans further launches this year, and construction of the third Spectrum rocket is already well advanced.

The company, based in Ottobrunn near Munich, aims to use Spectrum to place civilian and military satellites into low Earth orbit. It plans to produce 40 rockets a year once the vehicle enters serial production. The German government, the European Union and other European states have a strategic interest in the company’s success. Isar Aerospace says it has raised more than 500 million euros from investors and employs just over 400 people.