Test flight of orbital rocket from Europe explodes

What happened

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.

Who said what

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.

What next?

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."

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