Watch this new European rocket lift off … then crash

An attempt by Isar Aerospace to achieve the milestone of becoming the first European commercial space company to launch an orbital rocket from continental Europe ended in failure when the rocket lost control and exploded shortly after liftoff on Sunday.

The inaugural flight of the two-stage Spectrum rocket occurred at the Andøya Spaceport in Norway at 12:30 p.m. local time.

The 28-meter-tall rocket took off smoothly from the launchpad and initially seemed to be on course as it ascended into the sky. However, about 18 seconds into the flight, the rocket lost control and crashed back to Earth, exploding in the sea.

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In a statement released by Isar Aerospace, the company mentioned that despite the mission’s abrupt end, they had accomplished their goals. The statement read, “After igniting its first stage, Spectrum successfully launched for its first test flight lasting approximately 30 seconds. This allowed the company to gather valuable flight data and experience for future missions.”

Josef Aschbacher, the director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), also commented on the launch, stating: “Successful liftoff and significant data already collected. I am confident that Isar Aerospace will gain valuable insights.”

Aschbacher added, “Rocket launches are challenging. Persistence is key, keep moving forward with even more determination!”

Established in 2018, Isar Aerospace, based in Germany, developed and produced the rocket entirely in-house, including its high-pressure turbopump-fed Aquila engines. The rocket uses liquid oxygen and propane as propellants, offering high performance with minimal environmental impact.

No payloads were onboard the rocket during Sunday’s maiden flight, but it is designed to carry payloads of up to 1,000 kilograms to low-Earth orbit.

If Isar Aerospace can successfully refine the Spectrum rocket, they plan to establish a presence in the small-to-medium payload launch market, similar to the approach of the successful New Zealand startup Rocket Lab, which is rapidly expanding to compete with SpaceX in the small-satellite launch sector.

Following the mission on Sunday, Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace, stated, “As a company with European roots, we are proud to demonstrate that Europe has the potential for groundbreaking achievements. We are ready to serve customers worldwide in launching their satellites into space and to assist Europe in addressing a significant gap in its security infrastructure: access to space.”