Lift-off: German Isar Aerospace rocket successfully reaches space

After months of delays and four postponed launch attempts, German startup Isar Aerospace achieved a major success with the second test flight of its Spectrum rocket.

The rocket lifted off from Norway’s Andøya Spaceport at 10:12 p.m., according to the livestream. About 10 minutes later, the video connection to the ground was lost after the rocket moved beyond the link’s maximum range. During the broadcast, moderators said Spectrum had reached an altitude of about 100 kilometers nearly four minutes after launch, crossing the Kármán line, the notional boundary of space. Viewers also saw the first stage separate.

The rocket carried five scientific satellites from several universities and a scientific experiment. It was not immediately clear whether the payloads had been successfully placed into orbit. During the first attempt, in March 2025, the rocket crashed after only 30 seconds.

The launch had originally been scheduled for January. A faulty valve delayed the first date. A Norwegian fisherman whose boat had not left the safety zone in the waters near the launch base disrupted the second attempt in March. Preparations were halted in April because of a leaking pressure vessel, and another problem emerged in June.

Isar Aerospace plans further launches this year, and construction of the third Spectrum rocket is already well advanced. Once the rocket reaches series production, the company plans to launch civilian and military satellites into low Earth orbit and produce 40 rockets a year. The company employs more than 400 people and says it has raised more than half a billion euros from investors. It recently signed a 200 million euro contract with the European Space Agency as part of a program to accelerate the development of European launch vehicles.

Germany, the European Union, and other European states have a strategic interest in the company’s success as Europe remains largely unable to launch satellites using its own technology. The effort is intended to reduce dependence on U.S. technology and SpaceX.