# German Rocket Startup Isar Aerospace Reaches Orbit From Western European Soil

*2026-09-06 14:01 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket became the first ever to reach orbit from Western European soil, launching from Norway on its second attempt.

Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket lifted off from Andøya Space Center in northern Norway on September 5, reaching orbit roughly seven minutes after launch and becoming the first rocket ever to do so from Western European soil.

The two-stage, 95-foot-tall rocket deployed five cubesats and one non-deployable science experiment after circularizing its orbit, achieving full mission success on just its second flight. The debut attempt in March 2025 ended less than a minute after liftoff when a vent valve opened unintentionally and the vehicle lost attitude control; this second try, dubbed "Onward and Upward," had already been pushed back from January by a pressurization-valve issue, bad weather, an intruding boat, and a leaking pressure vessel before finally launching successfully.

Isar, based near Munich, says Spectrum can carry about 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg) to low Earth orbit and that its factory can build more than 30 of the rockets a year, positioning the company as a future workhorse launcher for small and medium satellites out of Europe.

## Sources

- [space.com](https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/isar-aerospace-second-launch-norway-andoya-spaceport-spectrum-rocket)
- [dealroom.co](https://dealroom.co/news/149086-isar-aerospace-reaches-orbit-with-spectrum-rocket/)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/2324-german-rocket-startup-isar-aerospace-reaches-orbit-from-western-european-soil
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2397-nemecky-startup-isar-aerospace-dostal-raketu-na-obeznou-drahu-poprve-ze