Isar Aerospace reaches orbit on its second flight, a first for a European commercial launcher

Isar Aerospace’s 28-metre Spectrum rocket launched from Andoya, Norway, at 22:12 CEST, reaching low-Earth orbit in four minutes and releasing payloads from educational institutions and start-ups chosen in the German Space Agency’s Microlauncher Competition. It is the first commercial European orbital launch on its second attempt, follows a €270 million funding round and a €200 million ESA contract, and will be produced near Munich at a rate of up to 40 rockets per year with a manifest secured through 2028.