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🇨🇭 Switzerland /Technology

Europe’s first private rocket launch into orbit takes place from northern Norway

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket from Andøya in northern Norway, carrying five CubeSats into orbit.
  • The launch marked the first time a privately developed rocket reached orbit from continental Europe, after months of delays and a failed test flight in March 2025.
  • The mission highlights Europe's effort to reduce its reliance on the United States for satellite launches.

“We are in orbit!” With those words, German start-up Isar Aerospace declared what it called a historic moment for Europe after its Spectrum rocket successfully reached orbit from northern Norway.

The rocket lifted off from the Andøya base, north of the Arctic Circle, shortly after 20:00 GMT on Saturday, September 5. It carried five CubeSats, each roughly the size of a shoebox.

Isar Aerospace said the launch marked the first time a rocket developed by the private sector had been placed into orbit from continental Europe. The achievement came as Europe seeks to become less dependent on the United States for sending satellites into space.

The mission followed several months of delays caused by technical and safety problems. An earlier test flight in March 2025 ended unsuccessfully when the Spectrum rocket fell back to Earth and exploded.

We are in orbit! And we have just written a page of European history: this is the first time that a rocket developed by the private sector has been placed into orbit from continental Europe.

· Isar AerospaceThe German start-up announced the successful Spectrum launch in a post on X.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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