Isar Aerospace reaches Earth orbit with the first successful orbital rocket

The Bavarian space start-up “Isar Aerospace” has launched the first orbital flight from European soil. »We're in orbit! And we made European history,” the company said on the X online service.

In the evening, an unmanned “Spectrum” type carrier rocket took off from the Norwegian spaceport Andoya and reached Earth orbit as hoped. According to the company, the rocket had five small satellites and a technological experiment on board. Access to space remains one of the biggest hurdles for the space industry and the national security architecture, explained Isar Aerospace boss Daniel Metzler.

European space travel should become independent

It was the second start for the company from Ottobrunn near Munich. The first attempt in March 2025 ended with an explosion shortly after liftoff. Isar Aerospace still considered the flight a success because of the data obtained. The 28 meter long “Spectrum” rocket can transport payloads of up to one ton. With it, Europe wants to become more independent of non-European providers such as Elon Musk's SpaceX. Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the launch site in Norway in March, underlining efforts to achieve greater European autonomy in space travel.

“Germany can do space travel,” said Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) in the evening. The fact that a German launch vehicle has reached Earth orbit for the first time is a milestone that demonstrates Germany's ability to innovate and technical knowledge. "It shows that German engineering is opening up new paths in space not only nationally, but also internationally - here in close collaboration with our Norwegian partners." She praised the interaction between research and industrial policy as well as cross-border cooperation.