Orbital rocket crashes seconds after take-off in rare European spaceport launch
The flight, from a spaceport in northern Norway, marked the first time a rocket capable of reaching orbit was launched from continental Europe, manufacturer Isar Aerospace said.
The rocket, called Spectrum, was airborne for only around half a minute before dramatically falling into the chilly Norwegian Sea.
Isar Aerospace and other European start-ups are scrambling to seize a segment of a rapidly expanding space race, currently dominated by companies and government-owned entities in the United States and China.
And the company framed Sunday's launch as a step toward that goal, saying in a statement: 'Isar Aerospace met its set goals: After ignition of its first stage, Spectrum successfully lifted off … for its first test flight lasting approximately 30 seconds. This allowed the company to gather a substantial amount of flight data and experience to apply on future missions.'
'As a company with European roots, we are proud to have shown that Europe has an enduring capacity for bold thinking and grand achievements,' Daniel Metzler, the company's CEO and co-founder, said in the statement. 'We will be able to serve customers from around the world to bring their satellites into space and to help Europe solve a major blind spot in its security architecture: access to space.'
The European Space Agency, which is made up of 23 member nations, has already launched rockets into orbit, as have companies such as the French-run ArianeGroup. But both have launched flights from outside Europe, mainly at spaceports in the Americas.
Leaders in the space industry include Elon Musk's SpaceX, which has launched hundreds of rockets into orbit.
Europe has historically lagged behind, both in the initial space race of the 1960s and 1970s and the subsequent rush by commercial companies to reach orbit.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tesla $1 Trillion Autonomy Dream Thrills Analysts--But Margins Tell a Darker Story
July 25 - Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) grabbed headlines after its Q2 report unveiled slowing revenue and delivery trends, even as Elon Musk promised a more affordable EV model and deeper autonomy push. Wedbush's Dan Ives argues the next few quarters will make or break Tesla's autonomy ambitions. He expects ride?hailing services to cover half the U.S. population by year?end and full self?driving (FSD) for personal use in select cities. Wedbush keeps an Outperform rating and $500 price target, valuing autonomy at $1 trillion. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with WSO. Wells Fargo's Colin Langan stays cautious with an Underweight rating, flagging longer timelines for robotaxis and Optimus, plus added strain from tariffs and potential EV tax?credit cuts. Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas warns that slower volumes, vanishing incentives, and higher expenses could force consensus estimates lower, his FY25 EPS forecast falls 14%, FY26 down 7%. Matt Britzman of Hargreaves Lansdown observes that investors are supporting the development story behind Tesla even when core measures are weakening. Rising expenses, lower margins and cash flow concerns, he says, now are the base scenario, which allows the AI story to push stocks higher. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
USA Today
17 minutes ago
- USA Today
How to see behind the scenes at RV manufacturing plants
The Midwest is the epicenter of America's recreational vehicle (RV) industry. Airstream is headquartered in western Ohio, and 80 percent of the nation's RVs are produced in northwest Indiana, earning it the title of 'RV Capital of the World.' If you own a recreational vehicle or are simply curious about the craftsmanship employed by teams of skilled artisans, an RV manufacturing plant tour offers a behind-the-scenes look. AirstreamJackson Center, Ohio Inside Airstream's spacious, 750,000-square-foot production facility, shiny aluminum trailers glisten like giant pieces of jewelry. Approximately 500 skilled workers craft eight towable travel trailer models in 45 floor plans for the domestic market and three models for the European market. Located 56 miles northeast of Dayton, Airstream employs 1,300 people and hosts nearly 10,000 visitors annually who join free, hour-long guided tours of three manufacturing facilities producing the brand's iconic travel trailers, touring coaches and Basecamp units. Visitor experience coordinator Dan Maul facilitates all tours, as well as manages the company's archives and Heritage Center. 'Around 200 craftspeople, between parts manufacturing and a completed trailer build, are involved in the production of each travel trailer, which takes approximately 350 hours total,' Maul says. Along the 40-section production line, workers buck rivet each trailer's curved, aluminum outer exterior and interior. From a viewing platform above the factory floor, visitors watch production line craftspeople install electrical wiring, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, solar panel hookups, propane tanks and other components. Most of Airstream's cabinetry, windows and doors are made onsite, as are window treatments and some upholstered pieces. Lastly, quality control staff conducts a 1,600-point inspection before shipping trailers to 70 dealers across the U.S. and Canada and another 12 internationally. 'Our design team consistently monitors trends, tech developments, and consumers' interests in not only the RV market, but in the boating and home design industries to ensure we are creating a more comfortable and inviting travel trailer experience,' Maul says. The Heritage Center displays restored Airstreams presented in a walkable timeline. The collection's newest addition is a 1936 Airstream Clipper, the first all-aluminum, riveted travel trailer ever made. JaycoMiddlebury, Indiana There are nearly 70 RV production plants, parts suppliers, service and repair facilities in Elkhart County, Indiana, and a dozen more operate in neighboring LaGrange County. Northwest Indiana hosts many of the nation's biggest RV rallies and is home to the third-largest Amish community in the country, with many of working in the RV industry. Thor Industries, the world's largest RV manufacturer and Elkhart County's biggest employer, owns and operates Jayco, Inc. in Middlebury, about 130 miles southeast of Chicago. Jayco produces 357 models of travel trailers, fifth-wheels, Class A and Class C motorhomes and Class B camper vans at a 720-acre campus employing 2,700 people. Free 90-minute tours of the motorhome and luxury fifth -wheel plants start at Jayco's visitors center, a renovated 1880s Amish farmhouse adjacent to a grassy lot displaying the latest models that guests walk through. A brief film covers the history of the company, which started in 1968 when Mennonite couple Lloyd and Bertha Bontrager built the first Jayco-branded, canvas-sided, fold-down camper trailers in their farm's barn. A vintage trolley ride takes you to the manufacturing plant, where craftspeople assemble insulated sidewalls, wood floor frames and Magnum Truss Roof System roofs, sew window treatments and upholster furniture. Sounds of beeping forklifts and whirring, popping power tools fill the brightly lit luxury fifth wheel plant. Sleek Pinnacle, North Point, and Seismic Toy Hauler models, hand-built by 160 craftspeople, roll down the 36-station production line. It takes an average of three days to build a fifth wheel RV. Woodworkers on the plant's mezzanine level mill all hardwood cabinetry. Final production steps include a thorough cleaning, inspection of 29 system functions and a rain test (motorhomes get road tested) before Jayco ships to more than 400 dealers in the U.S. and abroad. 'Starting in May each year, tour guests watch skilled workers hand-build the next year's models,' says John MacDonald, Jayco's corporate brand ambassador. RV/MH Hall of Fame At Elkhart's national RV/MH Hall of Fame complex, a collection of 50 camper cars, trailers, vans, and motorhomes trace the RV industry's evolution beginning in the 1920s. View actress Mae West's 1931 Chevrolet House car and the 1935 Bowlus Road Chief Trailer. Historic RV brands' units exhibited include Jayco, Coachmen, E-Z Kamper, Kit Teardrop, Shasta, GMC, Airstream and Winnebago. RV enthusiasts will love browsing the library's periodicals and archives.
Axios
17 minutes ago
- Axios
Lyft to add autonomous shuttles to its ride-hailing network
Lyft plans to add U.S.-made Holon autonomous shuttles to its ride-hailing network as early as next year. Why it matters: It's the latest development in Lyft's autonomous vehicle strategy, as it tries to keep pace with rival Uber's robotaxi rollout in places like Austin and Atlanta. Both companies envision a mixed fleet of human- and robot-driven cars on their networks in the future. Driving the news: Lyft said Friday it will partner with Benteler Mobility, a unit of European auto supplier Benteler Group, to deploy AV shuttles on its network starting in late 2026. The companies will begin by deploying shuttles in partnership with airports and cities, but did not provide details. They could expand to "thousands of vehicles as we bring this service to more geographies around the globe," Lyft said in a blog post. Riders will be able to book a shuttle ride directly through the Lyft platform. Zoom in: The purpose-built autonomous shuttles will be produced by Holon, a Benteler Mobility company, in Jacksonville, Fla. The toaster-shaped, 8-passenger electric vehicles are also being deployed on a new 3-mile circulator route run by Jacksonville's public transit authority. Another arm of Benteler will finance and own the Lyft shuttles, "with tens of millions of dollars intended for future autonomous fleet expansion," Lyft said. Context: The partnership builds on Lyft's other AV efforts, including plans to bring May Mobility AVs to Atlanta this summer, and to deploy Mobileye -powered electric robovans starting in Dallas in 2026.
