Private European Startup Completes First Test Flight of Its Orbital Launch Vehicle

A rocket launched by a private European aerospace company from Norway crashed into the sea 30 seconds later.

Video from the launch shows the rocket taking off from the pad, ascending into the air, and then crashing into the sea in a fiery explosion. I Photo: Isar Aerospace

Despite the short test flight, Isar Aerospace stated that it had successfully completed the first test flight of its orbital launch vehicle by launching its Spectrum rocket from the island of Andøya in northern Norway, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The 28-meter (92-foot) Spectrum is a two-stage launch vehicle designed to put small and medium-sized satellites into orbit.

The rocket lifted off from the pad at 12:30 p.m. (10:30 GMT) on Sunday and flew for about half a minute before the flight was terminated, Isar said.

“This allowed the company to gather a substantial amount of flight data and experience to apply to future missions,” Isar said in a statement. “After the flight was terminated at T+30 seconds, the launch vehicle fell into the sea in a controlled manner.”

Video from the launch shows the rocket taking off from the pad, ascending into the air, and then crashing into the sea in a fiery explosion.

The launch was subject to various factors, including weather and safety. Sunday’s liftoff followed a week of poor conditions, including a scrubbed launch on March 24 due to unfavorable winds and another delay on Saturday due to weather restrictions.