A test rocket intended to develop satellite launch capabilities in Europe crashed approximately 40 seconds after taking off from a Norwegian spaceport on Sunday.
The unmanned Spectrum rocket, designed by German start-up Isar Aerospace, began emitting smoke from its sides before crashing back to Earth in a fiery explosion. It had launched from Norway’s Andoya Spaceport in the Arctic. Despite the failure, the company deemed the test a success.
“Our first test flight met all our expectations and was a great success,” said Daniel Metzler, Isar Aerospace’s CEO and co-founder, in a news release. “We had a clean liftoff, achieved 30 seconds of flight, and successfully validated our Flight Termination System.”
The company confirmed that the two-stage rocket fell into the sea and noted that the launch pad appeared undamaged.
Orbital rockets are designed to transport payloads, such as satellites, into or beyond Earth’s orbit.
The launch of Spectrum marked the first attempt of an orbital rocket from mainland Europe, excluding Russia, and was also Europe’s first privately funded mission of its kind.
The launch had faced multiple delays due to weather, and Isar Aerospace had tempered expectations in advance.
“Every second we remain in flight provides valuable data and experience. Thirty seconds would already be a great success,” Metzler stated before the launch.
He also acknowledged that reaching orbit was not expected for this test flight, noting that no company has ever successfully launched its first orbital rocket on the initial attempt.
The 92-foot, two-stage rocket carried no payload for the test mission.
Isar Aerospace operates independently from the European Space Agency (ESA), which is funded by its 23 member states, according to the Associated Press.
ESA has been launching rockets and satellites for years, primarily from French Guiana in South America and Cape Canaveral in Florida.
In 2023, billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit made an earlier attempt at a European orbital launch. Using a Boeing 747 to deploy a rocket from southwest England, the mission failed, ultimately leading to the company’s closure.
