The European space market has gained a new player. German company Isar Aerospace carried out a historic launch, becoming the first purely commercial European company to put its own rocket into Earth orbit. This achievement came on its second launch attempt.
Spectrum’s historic launch
Isar Aerospace, founded in 2018 by three students at a German university, successfully launched a rocket of its own design into low Earth orbit on Saturday. The launch took place from a Norwegian spaceport located north of the Arctic Circle. The two-stage rocket, named Spectrum, became the first fully commercial European launch vehicle to reach orbit.
This success puts Isar Aerospace in the lead among several European start-ups seeking to bring competition to Europe’s stagnating space launch market. Questions remain over how quickly the company can scale up its operations and how soon other European companies can achieve similar results.
Competition in the European market
There is vigorous competition among European companies working to develop their own launch vehicles. Isar Aerospace’s success sets a new standard and encourages other players to accelerate their development efforts. Further launches by European start-ups are expected in the near future, which could significantly reshape Europe’s space industry.
Source: Ars Technica – All content
