Europe's first commercial rocket launches from Norway's gateway
The first commercial rocket constructed in Europe has been launched from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway. The Spectrum mission represents a significant advancement in the development of European space technology.
On Sunday at 12:30 pm, the Spectrum rocket was launched from the Andøya Space Center in northern Norway. It is the first commercial rocket built in Europe to be launched from this spaceport. After 20 seconds of flight, the engines ceased functioning, and the fuselage descended to the ground as planned.
The mission's objective was to gather data on the rocket's structural performance. Tina Schmitt from Isar Aerospace, the rocket's owner, highlighted that this project was the culmination of seven years of effort. Spectrum is a two-stage design intended to launch research and commercial satellites into orbit. The rocket is approximately 92 feet tall and 7 feet in diameter, with its engines mostly produced using 3D printing technology.
Norway’s first launch of a commercial rocket from Europe. This is just the beginning
The Andøya Space Center, situated north of the Lofoten archipelago, had previously only catered to suborbital rockets. The "Going Full Spectrum" mission marks the first commercial rocket launch aimed at reaching Earth orbit. Łukasz Wilczyński from the European Space Foundation remarked that Europe must enhance its capabilities in space technology, and Andøya can provide access to orbit for smaller projects.
Isar Aerospace, a German company established in 2018 in Munich, is the manufacturer of the Spectrum rocket. The company employs 400 people and plans to launch various types of satellites into orbit, ranging from communication to research satellites. The Spectrum rocket launch is a crucial step in the advancement of European space technologies and could enhance Europe's competitiveness in the space market.
