Isar Aerospace launches Europe's first fully commercial orbital rocket from Norway
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Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into low-Earth orbit Saturday from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway. The two-stage rocket became the first fully commercial launch vehicle in Europe to reach orbit. The launch positions Isar as the leader among European launch startups.
Key Facts
- Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket lifted off at 4:12 pm EST (20:12 UTC) Saturday from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway.
- The rocket reached orbit seven minutes after liftoff.
- Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 by three students at the Technical University of Munich.
- The company has raised roughly $1 billion and employs nearly 500 people.
The Launch
Isar Aerospace's 92-foot-tall (28-meter) Spectrum rocket lifted off at 4:12 pm EST (20:12 UTC) Saturday from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway. The launch occurred at 10:12 pm local time as the final bluish hues of daylight faded from the late summer sky. Seven minutes later, the rocket was in orbit.
Company Background
Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 by Daniel Metzler, Josef Fleischmann, and Markus Brandl, three students at the Technical University of Munich. The company is named for the river that runs through the Bavarian capital. It took eight years for Isar to reach orbit, a timetable similar to other successful commercial rocket startups in the West. In that time, the company raised roughly $1 billion through several private financing rounds and now has a workforce of nearly 500 employees.
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