The first orbital rocket launch from mainland Europe ended in failure Sunday, when the vehicle exploded seconds after lift-off, hampering the continent’s aspirations in the commercial space sector.
Footage showed the Spectrum rocket, built by German company Isar Aerospace, emitting smoke from its sides before plummeting to Earth with a fiery explosion shortly after departing Norway’s Andoya Spaceport in the Arctic region.
These rockets are specifically engineered to transport payloads like satellites into or beyond Earth’s orbital zone.
This attempt marked the first-ever orbital vehicle launch from European soil, excluding Russia, and and Europe’s first financed almost exclusively by the private sector.
Weather conditions had caused multiple launch delays, and Isar Aerospace had maintained modest expectations. “Every second we fly is good, because we collect data and experience. Thirty seconds would already be a great success,” said Daniel Metzler, the company’s co-founder and chief executive, prior to the launch, as reported by AFP.
“We do not expect to reach orbit with this test. In fact, no company has yet managed to put its first orbital launch vehicle into orbit,” he added.
The test flight involved a 28-metre (92-foot), two-stage rocket without any payload.
Prior to this in 2023, Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit conducted Europe’s first orbital launch attempt. The mission, which involved launching a rocket from a Boeing 747 over southwest England, failed and subsequently led to the company’s closure.
