Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket reaches orbit, first commercial European launch
Europe's first commercial orbital rocket just launched from Norway. Isar Aerospace's Spectrum reached orbit Saturday, deployed five satellites, and proved Europe can compete with SpaceX for launch capacity. Isar's first attempt failed in March 2025. This one succeeded.
Isar Aerospace, a Munich-based space startup founded in 2018, achieved what no other privately developed company has managed: launch from mainland European soil into orbit. The Spectrum rocket lifted off from Andoya Spaceport in Arctic Norway on Saturday, carrying five small satellites and a technology experiment. All deployed successfully. This was Isar's second orbital attempt. The first, in March 2025, ended when the vehicle crashed into the sea about 30 seconds after liftoff. CEO Daniel Metzler told Reuters that 'launch capability is the biggest bottleneck in the entire industry.' Isar has now signed a letter of intent with Maritime Launch Services to establish a second launch site in Nova Scotia, Canada. Until Saturday, no private European launcher had reached orbit. The continent relied entirely on SpaceX and Arianespace for satellite deployment. Isar's success means European customers can now choose a European alternative for small and medium satellite launches.