Latest news with #Isar
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Test flight of orbital rocket from Europe explodes
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Germany's Isar Aerospace conducted the first test flight of its Spectrum orbital rocket from a spaceport in Norway Sunday, deeming the launch a success even though the rocket crashed into the sea and exploded about 30 seconds after liftoff. Isar is one of a handful of European aerospace startups aiming to create a commercial space industry that can send satellites into orbit from inside continental Europe. Isar said the "terminated" test flight allowed it to "gather a substantial amount of flight data and experience to apply on future missions." The European Space Agency has been "launching rockets and satellites into orbit for years, but mainly from French Guiana" and Cape Canaveral in Florida, The Associated Press said. The French-German satellite launch firm ArianeGroup also uses the French Guiana spaceport and Elon Musk's SpaceX launches from the U.S. The Andøya Spaceport, on an island in northern Norway, was built for Isar in 2023. Sweden's Estrange Space Center and Britain's SaxaVord Spaceport are the "nearest rivals to the Norwegian site," Reuters said, and both aim to launch commercial orbital vehicles later this year. "Europe urgently needs to ensure its sovereignty in space," said Marie-Christine von Hahn of German aerospace industries group BDLI. "Elon Musk's Starlink is not without alternatives — nor should it be."
Sky News
30-03-2025
- Business
- Sky News
First orbital rocket launched from Europe crashes into sea - but company says test 'met all expectations'
The first orbital rocket launched from mainland Europe took off from Norway on Sunday - but crashed into the sea and exploded 40 seconds later. The unmanned Spectrum rocket blasted off from the Arctic Andoeya Spaceport, on Sunday at 12.30pm local time before it was terminated less than a minute later. Isar Aerospace, the German company that built the rocket, had warned that the launch could end prematurely. It maintained that despite being short, the flight had produced extensive data that its team could learn from. "Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success," Daniel Metzler, Isar's chief executive and co-founder, said. "We had a clean lift-off, 30 seconds of flight and even got to validate our flight termination system." Spectrum is a two-stage launch vehicle specifically designed to put small and medium satellites into orbit. Its maiden voyage was aimed at kickstarting satellite launches from Europe. Several European nations, including the UK and Sweden, have said they want to be an active player in the growing market of commercial space missions. Big global companies already ahead in the satellite launch game include Elon Musk's SpaceX, which launches from the US, and French company ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran that uses a spaceport in South America's French Guiana. Mr Musk's SpaceX also operates the Starlink satellite service, a communications network that can provide much of the globe with access to the internet. Germany's BDLI aerospace industries association said Isar's first flight would lead to further progress. BDLI managing director, Marie-Christine von Hahn, said: "Europe urgently needs to ensure its sovereignty in space. Elon Musk's Starlink is not without alternatives - nor should it be." Sweden, with its Esrange launch site, and Britain with its SaxaVord Spaceport in the Scottish Shetland Islands, are the nearest rivals to the Norwegian site, all of which aim to give Europe greater autonomy in space flights. SaxaVord, which suffered a setback when a rocket engine exploded during a test last year, is planning its first satellite launch later this year.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
First orbital rocket launched from Europe crashes into sea - but company says test 'met all expectations'
The first orbital rocket launched from mainland Europe took off from Norway on Sunday - but crashed into the sea and exploded 40 seconds later. The unmanned Spectrum rocket blasted off from the Arctic Andoeya Spaceport, on Sunday at 12.30pm local time before it was terminated less than a minute later. Isar Aerospace, the German company that built the rocket, had warned that the launch could end prematurely. It maintained that despite being short, the flight had produced extensive data that its team could learn from. "Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success," Daniel Metzler, Isar's chief executive and co-founder, said. "We had a clean lift-off, 30 seconds of flight and even got to validate our flight termination system." Spectrum is a two-stage launch vehicle specifically designed to put small and medium satellites into orbit. Its maiden voyage was aimed at kickstarting satellite launches from Europe. Several European nations, including the UK and Sweden, have said they want to be an active player in the growing market of commercial space missions. Big global companies already ahead in the satellite launch game include Elon Musk's SpaceX, which launches from the US, and French company ArianeGroup, a joint venture between Airbus and Safran that uses a spaceport in South America's French Guiana. Mr Musk's SpaceX also operates the Starlink satellite service, a communications network that can provide much of the globe with access to the internet. Germany's BDLI aerospace industries association said Isar's first flight would lead to further progress. BDLI managing director, Marie-Christine von Hahn, said: "Europe urgently needs to ensure its sovereignty in space. Elon Musk's Starlink is not without alternatives - nor should it be." Read more from Sky News: Sweden, with its Esrange launch site, and Britain with its SaxaVord Spaceport in the Scottish Shetland Islands, are the nearest rivals to the Norwegian site, all of which aim to give Europe greater autonomy in space flights. SaxaVord, which suffered a setback when a rocket engine exploded during a test last year, is planning its first satellite launch later this year.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
First European orbital rocket launch fails, crashes into Norwegian ocean
March 30 (UPI) -- The first orbital rocket launched from Europe crashed less than a minute after it was launched Sunday, but operators still considered the mission a success. The German startup Isar launched the Spectrum rocket from Andøya spaceport in the Norwegian Arctic at 6:30 a.m. EDT in what the company called a test mission, but it began smoking and crashed back to Earth shortly after. "This allowed the company to gather a substantial amount of flight data and experience to apply on future missions," Isar said in a statement. "After the flight was terminated at T+30 seconds, the launch vehicle fell into the sea in a controlled manner." It was the first attempt to launch a rocket from the European mainland and an effort to jump start the continent's move to join the burgeoning space race. Sweden and Britain have said they intend to enter the market for commercial spaceflight. Orbital rockets are typically used to transport satellites and other cargo into space and Europe has said it intends to become a center for such flights. Video of the uncrewed mission shows the rocket launching successfully amid Norway's jagged snow-covered mountains along the coast before it stopped accelerating, turned completely around, plummeted into the ocean and exploded. Officials, however, said the mission proved useful for the information gained. "Success to get off the pad, and lots of data already obtained. I am sure @isaraerospace will learn a lot. Rocket launch is hard. Never give up, move forward with even more energy!" European Space Agency's Director General, Josef Aschbacher posted on X. Severe Arctic weather had postponed the launch for more than a week. The mission was designed to collect data on the company's launch vehicle and was the first test of its integrated systems. The company said the Spectrum activated its rocket termination system about 30 seconds into the flight, which caused the craft to turn end for end, 180 degrees, and fall into a planned "safe zone" in the water.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Isar Aerospace completes first orbital launch vehicle test flight in Norway
European private aerospace startup Isar Aerospace successfully completed the first test flight of its Spectrum rocket, despite the rocket crashing to the ground 30 seconds after launch on Sunday. Isar Aerospace, a German startup based in Munich, launched the rocket from the island of Andøya in northern Norway. The rocket took off from the platform at 12:30 pm and flew for about 30 seconds before flipping over and falling back to the ground, causing a powerful explosion. The Spectrum is a 28 metre-long, two-stage rocket specifically designed to place small and medium-sized satellites into orbit. This marks the first attempt to launch a satellite rocket from continental Europe."Our first test flight met all our expectations and was a great success," said Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar, in a press release. "We had a clean takeoff, 30 seconds of flight, and we were also able to validate our Flight Termination System." The launch was subject to various factors, including weather and safety conditions, and Sunday's takeoff followed a week of adverse conditions that delayed the test last Monday and Saturday due to the weather. The company had widely ruled out the possibility of the rocket reaching orbit on its first full flight, stating that it would consider a 30-second flight a success. Isar Aerospace aims to gather as much data and experience as possible during the first integrated test of all systems on its in-house developed launch vehicle. Isar Aerospace is separate from the European Space Agency (ESA), which is funded by its 23 member states. The ESA has been launching rockets and satellites into orbit for years, but primarily from French Guiana and Cape Canaveral in Florida. This latest attempt therefore marked the first attempt to launch a satellite rocket from within Europe.
