A German start-up’s orbital rocket experienced a spin out and crashed just seconds after its launch on Sunday, in what was a notable European test flight that the company described as having “met its set goals.” The launch, which took place at a spaceport in northern Norway, marked a significant milestone as it was the first instance of a rocket capable of reaching orbit being launched from continental Europe, according to Isar Aerospace, the manufacturer.
The rocket, named Spectrum, was in the air for approximately half a minute before it fell dramatically into the frigid waters of the Norwegian Sea. Isar Aerospace, along with other European start-ups, is racing to capture a share of the rapidly growing space industry, which is currently led by companies and government entities in the United States and China. In its statement, the company emphasized that Sunday’s launch was an important step toward its objectives, noting: “Isar Aerospace met its set goals: After ignition of its first stage, Spectrum successfully lifted off … for its first test flight lasting approximately 30 seconds. This enabled the company to collect valuable flight data and experience for future missions.”
Daniel Metzler, the company’s CEO and co-founder, expressed pride in demonstrating Europe’s capacity for innovation in the statement, saying, “As a company with European roots, we are proud to have shown that Europe has an enduring capacity for bold thinking and grand achievements. We will be able to serve customers from around the world to bring their satellites into space and to help Europe address a significant gap in its security architecture: access to space.” While the European Space Agency, comprising 23 member nations, and companies like the French-run ArianeGroup have successfully launched rockets into orbit, these flights have predominantly taken place from locations outside of Europe, primarily in the Americas. In contrast, leaders in the space sector, such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, have launched hundreds of rockets into orbit.
Historically, Europe has fallen behind in both the initial space race of the 1960s and 1970s and the more recent push by commercial enterprises to achieve orbital flights.
