Isar Aerospace Achieves First Launch to Orbit from Continental Europe | ESA

Isar Aerospace Achieves First Launch to Orbit from Continental Europe | ESA

German company ‪Isar Aerospace ‬successfully reached orbit with their Spectrum launcher, lifting off from Andøya Spaceport in Norway at 21:12 BST/22:12 Central European Summer Time (CEST) on September 5, 2026. It became the first commercial space company from Europe to successfully deliver satellites into orbit, on what was only its second flight.

Spectrum is a two-stage, 28 meter tall launch vehicle and, with its ten engines, is targeting to launch payloads of up to 1000 kg to low Earth orbit. 

The mission ‘Onward and Upward’ is supported by the European Space Agency’s Boost! program. Isar Aerospace also won the first Microlauncher Competition awarded by the German Space Agency (DLR). This resulted in the selection of the payloads on this flight. 

Initially supported by ESA’s Business Incubation Centrer, Isar Aerospace has received several rounds of co-funding as part of the European Space Agency’s Boost! program that helps commercial initiatives offering space transportation services. Under Boost! contract, ESA supported the development of the Spectrum launch service, including this second Spectrum flight . 

In 2025, Isar Aerospace was one of the launch service operators selected for the European Launcher Challenge. As a first important milestone, the European Launcher Challenge requires launch service providers to achieve an orbital launch no later than 2027. This flight has demonstrated the Spectrum launch system successfully, making Isar Aerospace the first provider to reach this milestone for the European Launcher Challenge. 

Learn more about Isar Aerospace:
https://isaraerospace.com

Credits: Isar Aerospace
Duration: 1 minute, 37 seconds
Release Date: Sept. 7, 2026

#NASA #ESA #Space #Satellites #‪IsarAerospace #Germany #Deutschland #SpectrumLaunchVehicle #RocketLaunch #AndøyaSpaceport #Norway #Norge #CommercialSpace #STEM #Education #HD #Video