Isar Aerospace, a German space startup, has become the first on the European continent to place a commercial rocket into orbit.
According to Reuters on the 5th (local time), Isar launched the unmanned rocket Spectrum from Norway's Arctic Andøya Space Center and succeeded in reaching orbit. This is the first time a commercial rocket departing from the European continent has reached orbit.
Spectrum is a rocket developed to transport small and medium payloads. This flight carried five small satellites and experimental equipment for in-flight technology verification. The mission served as the first flight to transport actual payloads while also validating the rocket's performance.
Isar succeeded in reaching orbit on its second attempt. In the first test launch at the same spaceport in Mar. last year, the rocket crashed and exploded about 40 seconds after liftoff. There were no casualties, and the company used the data gathered during the flight for subsequent development.
The success is expected to shift the commercial satellite launch market in Europe. To reduce its reliance on launches from the United States and elsewhere, Europe is pushing to expand its own space transportation capabilities, and not only Norway but also Sweden and the United Kingdom are developing commercial spaceports.