Spaceflight: Isar Aerospace attempts another rocket launch

Bavarian space startup Isar Aerospace is making another attempt to launch its Spectrum rocket. The company said the rocket was scheduled to lift off from Norway’s Andøya Spaceport at 10 p.m. German time on Saturday.

Spectrum’s first test flight took place in spring last year and ended after 30 seconds, when the rocket fell into the sea. The second launch was initially planned for January but has been postponed several times.

Once ready for series production, Spectrum is intended to carry civilian and military satellites into low-Earth orbits a few hundred kilometers above the ground. Isar Aerospace, based in Ottobrunn near Munich, aims to produce 40 rockets a year.

The company says it is already fully booked with orders worth several hundred million dollars through 2028, even though the rocket has not yet entered series production.