24/7 Space News
ROCKET SCIENCE
European orbital rocket crashes after launch
European orbital rocket crashes after launch
By Pierre-Henry DESHAYES
Oslo (AFP) Mar 30, 2025

The first orbital rocket launched from continental Europe crashed seconds after blast-off Sunday, in a closely watched test for the continent's bid to build a new space economy.

The Spectrum rocket, developed by German start-up Isar Aerospace, started smoking from its sides, then crashed back to Earth with a powerful explosion just after launching from Norway's Andoya Spaceport in the Arctic, in live video broadcast on YouTube.

Isar Aerospace, which had said it did not expect to reach orbit with the launch, said the two-stage rocket fell into the sea, adding that "the launch pad seems to be intact".

Andoya Space, the Norwegian public firm that operates the spaceport, said "crisis response" measures had been activated following the "incident".

Regional police said no injuries or damage beyond the rocket itself had been reported.

Orbital rockets are designed to place loads such as satellites into or beyond Earth's orbit.

- 'Great success' -

Ahead of the launch, which had been repeatedly postponed due to weather conditions, Isar Aerospace had downplayed expectations, saying the goal was not to reach orbit in its first attempt.

"Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success. We had a clean liftoff, 30 seconds of flight and even got to validate our Flight Termination System," said Daniel Metzler, the firm's co-founder and chief executive.

In an online press conference following the launch, Metzler insisted Isar was "very well positioned" to take advantage of the rocket-to-satellite market, adding that the company would "make the adjustments that are necessary" to the spacecraft.

Two more Spectrum rockets are already in development, the company said.

The 28-metre (92-foot) tall, two-metre diameter rocket has a one-tonne carrying capacity, but was unloaded for the test flight.

Spectrum's blast-off was the first of an orbital launch vehicle from the European continent, excluding Russia, and Europe's first financed almost exclusively by the private sector.

"Today is an important day for German and European space travel," said German Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

"Isar Aerospace can and will make a decisive contribution to securing Europe's independent access to space."

A first European orbital launch attempt was made in 2023 by billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit.

It attempted to use a Boeing 747 to launch a rocket into orbit from southwest England, but failed, and the company folded.

- 'New Space' -

Europe has had no access to Russian space stations or launchers since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which sent diplomatic relations on a downward spiral.

Europe's space industry has also seen delays in the development of the Ariane 6 rocket and the suspension of the Vega-C satellite launcher after an accident.

It wasn't until March 6, when the first commercial flight of an Ariane 6 rocket took off from French Guyana, that Europe was able to regain launch independence after several months without its own access to space for heavy payloads.

While the US already has giants such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin, in Europe, commercial space activities driven by private companies -- dubbed "New Space" -- are still in their infancy.

Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 in Munich.

Europe is also home to Germany's HyImpulse and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), French groups Latitude and MaiaSpace and Spain's PLD Space, all racing to establish themselves as key players in the sector.

Sunday's launch generated "tonnes of data that the teams can now evaluate and learn from", an Isar Aerospace commentator said on the YouTube live stream.

In parallel with the development of new rockets, a number of spaceport projects have emerged across Europe, from the Portuguese Azores to the British Shetland Islands, Norway's Andoya and Esrange in neighbouring Sweden, many vying to be the first to launch.

phy/ef/jhb/giv/gv

GOOGLE

Virgin Orbit

BOEING

Related Links
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
ROCKET SCIENCE
The Sky's Not the Limit for NASA's Next-Gen Landing Navigation Tech
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 30, 2025
A cutting-edge navigation system developed by Psionic, Inc. took to the skies over California recently, riding aboard an F/A-18 Hornet aircraft to undergo rigorous testing at speeds approaching Mach 1. The trials marked a major milestone in NASA's efforts to advance technologies crucial for safe and precise landings on the Moon and Mars. The Psionic Space Navigation Doppler Lidar (PSNDL) system, an innovation derived from NASA's original technology and enhanced by Psionic, was the focus of the tes ... read more

ROCKET SCIENCE
Safely back on Earth, once-stranded US astronauts ready to fly again

Delft and Brown researchers unveil ultrathin sails for laser propulsion in space

SpaceX's Crew 11 to space station named: 2 from NASA, plus Russia, Japan

SpaceX to launch private astronauts on first crewed polar orbit

ROCKET SCIENCE
ULA Vulcan earns green light for national security launches

The Sky's Not the Limit for NASA's Next-Gen Landing Navigation Tech

European orbital rocket crashes after launch

Rocket Lab tapped to join US Space Force national security launch initiative

ROCKET SCIENCE
Martian dust may endanger astronaut health during surface missions

ExoMars rover to land on Mars aboard European-built platform

Visiting Mars on the Way to the Outer Solar System

Sols 4488-4490: Progress Through the Ankle-Breaking Terrain

ROCKET SCIENCE
Space station advances muscle and semiconductor science

China logs 15th orbital mission with launch of Tianlian II-04

China's Galactic Energy expands Yunyao satellite network with successful launch

Shenzhou XIX astronauts complete third spacewalk outside Tiangong

ROCKET SCIENCE
SpaceX launches another 28 satellites into orbit from Florida

Sateliot secures major backing to scale 5G IoT satellite network

SKY Perfect JSAT contracts Thales Alenia Space for JSAT 32 satellite project

Globalstar launches advanced control center in Louisiana to boost satellite operations

ROCKET SCIENCE
Radiation belt wisp mapped inside anomaly by Macao satellite

NASA cloud tech empowers private mission planners

Redwire expands space-based pharmaceutical research under new NASA contract

Sidus Space Expands Presence in Asia With Orlaith AI and FeatherEdge Technology

ROCKET SCIENCE
How calcium may have guided early molecular directionality

Incredible Journey of Pristine Meteorite Reveals Survival Secrets

Fluorescent caves could explain how life persists in extraterrestrial environments

Atmospheres of new planets might have unexpected mixtures of hydrogen and water

ROCKET SCIENCE
20 years of Hubble data reveals evolving weather patterns on Uranus

NASA's Hubble Telescope May Have Uncovered a Triple System in the Kuiper Belt

NASA's Europa Clipper Leverages Mars for Critical Gravity Assist

Oort cloud resembles a galaxy, new study finds

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.