German launch services provider Isar Aerospace has become the first commercial space company to successfully deliver satellites into orbit from western European territory, in a history-making achievement that bolsters Europe’s sovereign access to space.
Isar Aerospace’s two-stage launch vehicle, Spectrum, successfully deployed payloads, including six commercial and educational CubeSats, into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) after lifting off from the firm’s dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space in northern Norway at 10:12 pm CEST on September 5.
Appropriately dubbed the ‘Onward and Upward’ mission, this is the rocket’s second ever qualification flight. While Spectrum’s first flight ended shortly after liftoff last year, its second attempt represents a remarkable achievement for the spacecraft.
“This is the first time a privately developed rocket reached orbit from continental Europe; and a testament to the dedication, expertise, and teamwork of everyone involved,” Isar Aerospace declared.
Breaking several records, the vehicle “successfully transited MaxQ, completed MECO [main engine cut-off] and stage separation, and then ignited second stage as planned. It crossed the Kármán line at an altitude of 100 kilometers and jettisoned the payload fairing before reaching orbital velocity. After completing circularization burn, spacecraft separation was completed successfully,” the New Space start-up confirmed.
Spectrum launch vehicles 3 to 7 are already in production.
Founded eight years ago, and backed by the European Space Agency, privately-held Isar Aerospace’s successful Spectrum flight “is yet another step towards a more diverse autonomous European launch service sector, and I am excited for what is still to come,” said ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
In the face of rising geopolitical tensions, Europe is presently doubling down on its technological sovereignty, security, and defence — including with the planned buildout of its IRIS² multi-orbit constellation.
Spectrum arrives at a time when launch capacity “continues to be the largest bottleneck for the global space industry,” noted Isar Aerospace co-founder and CEO Daniel Metzler in a statement.
Prominent figures in government and aerospace celebrated Isar Aerospace’s milestone and what it means for Europe.
“This is the beginning of a new era,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared.
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “Europe is taking its destiny into its own hands, including in the space sector. Following the success of [Arianespace’s] Ariane 6 and those of Vega, Isar Aerospace has now written history in its turn.”
(Though it is headquartered in Paris, Arianespace operates commercial rocket launches from the Guiana Space Center near Kourou in French Guiana.)
Marie-Christine von Hahn, who serves as Director General of the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI), said on LinkedIn: “Only if we as Germans and Europeans have self-determined access to space can we protect our lives in freedom and security. More launcher capacities are crucial for this.”
Designed and manufactured in-house, Spectrum is a high performance two-stage launch vehicle that is specifically intended to serve the needs of small and medium satellites and constellations.
With its vertically integrated approach, Isar Aerospace expects to eventually have the capacity to manufacture up to 40 launch vehicles per year from its new 40,000 m² production facility near Munich, Germany.
“We have entered into a new chapter for European spaceflight. I am incredibly proud of our team, that has made this success story from Europe possible. We will now focus on rapidly scaling launch vehicle production, deliver on our order pipeline, and meet surging global demand,” Metzler said.
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