Space: Munich rocket reaches Earth orbit

Isar Aerospace has achieved a first for German spaceflight: its 28-meter Spectrum rocket reached Earth orbit on its second test flight.

The rocket lifted off from the company’s launch site in Andøya, Norway, shortly after 10:12 p.m. German time on Saturday. Nine engines in the first stage burned a mixture of 40 tonnes of liquid oxygen and propane as Spectrum climbed into the night sky.

Unlike the first flight, which ended after about 30 seconds because of a valve problem, the rocket continued its ascent. The upper stage separated successfully with its payload, and Spectrum reached orbit roughly seven minutes after launch. Reaching orbit provides the foundation for commercial flights around Earth.

The test mission carried five small satellites and a scientific experiment from universities and companies. The rocket can carry a total payload of one tonne. The customers won the opportunity to fly through a competition organized by the German Aerospace Center, which supported the mission together with the European Space Agency. Isar Aerospace founder Daniel Metzler said the customers understood the risks.

The launch followed several delays. A defective valve prevented a January attempt, a fishing boat in the exclusion zone halted the March attempt, a leak in a pressure vessel caused another delay in April, and a leaking helium tank forced the team to postpone a launch in June. Metzler had nevertheless said he believed the second flight could go relatively far. The company has said the next flight could be purely commercial.

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Do we need two, three, four, five attempts? We will find out.