German aerospace company Isar Aerospace says it successfully launched its light-class Spectrum rocket, becoming the first European commercial space company to put satellites into orbit. The launch took place on September 5 from the Andøya spaceport in northern Norway.
“We made history. On only our second flight, we became the first European commercial space company to deliver satellites to orbit. The ‘Onwards and Upwards’ mission successfully lifted off and placed its payload into orbit,” Isar Aerospace said in a post on X.
The qualification flight broke several records for Europe’s commercial space program. The rocket completed max-Q, main engine cutoff, and stage separation. It crossed the Kármán line at 100 km and jettisoned its payload fairing before reaching orbital velocity. After a circularization burn, the rocket released five cubesats. Its upper stage also carried an additional payload for Dcubed’s Let It Go experiment.
The payloads flown on the mission were selected through the Microlauncher Competition, run by Germany’s national space agency DLR (German Aerospace Center) to give universities and startups affordable access to space. The competition is funded by the European Space Agency’s Boost! program.
Follow Mediasat on Google News: the latest in TV, telecom and tech
It was Spectrum’s second launch. The rocket can carry roughly 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit. Its first launch attempt had failed.
Isar Aerospace is expanding its global network of launch sites. Near Munich, the company is finishing what it calls Europe’s largest integrated rocket manufacturing facility, with capacity for more than 30 rockets a year. Beyond its current Andøya site, Isar Aerospace is building a launch complex in Nova Scotia, Canada, targeting the mid- and high-inclination orbits used for Earth observation and communications.
