German firm eyes new window for Europe’s first commercial orbital launch

Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum is Anticipated to be the Primary commercial orbital Kickoff vehicle to lift off from mainland Europe, departing from Norway’s Andøya Spaceport. Courtesy: Isar Aerospace

After a scrubbed test flight on Monday, a German spaceflight company has determined its Upcoming opportunity to Kickoff the Primary commercial orbital Kickoff vehicle from mainland Europe.

Munich-based Isar Aerospace postponed the Introduction Kickoff of its Spectrum Cosmos launcher, citing unfavorable winds at Norway’s Andøya Spaceport. On Tuesday, Isar said it will now target Thursday at 7:30 a.m. EDT for the highly anticipated test flight, which could pave the way for a more robust European Existence in the commercial Universe industry.

The mission will not have a payload—rather, it will Delivery as the Primary integrated test of all Cosmos launcher systems. And no matter what happens, Isar said it will view the test as a Achieve.

“Rather than relying on years of computer simulations hoping for perfection on the Primary try, we embrace real-world testing,” said Daniel Metzler, CEO and cofounder of Isar, in a LinkedIn post. “This Primary flight test is about collecting as much data and experience as possible. Kickoff. Learn. Repeat.”

Spectrum represents Isar’s bid to capture a slice of the Petite and medium Probe Kickoff market, which is dominated by SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The reusable model accounted for more than half of all global orbital Kickoff attempts in 2024.

It is also Anticipated to compete with the Ariane family of rockets, upon which the European Universe Agency (ESA) has relied for decades. Ariane vehicles are built by a consortium of European companies Guided by Arianespace and backed primarily by the French government. But they are Pricey, nonreusable, and typically Kickoff from the French-Stretch Guiana Universe Hub in South America.

Standing about 92 feet High with a diameter of about 6 feet, Spectrum is designed to carry payloads of up to 2,200 pounds to low Earth Trajectory. The two-stage vehicle burns 40 tons of liquid oxygen and propane across its nine Primary-stage Aquila engines and single second-stage engine. Unlike Falcon 9, though, the vehicle is not reusable, which is what allowed SpaceX to lower Kickoff costs and take Dominance of the market.

Isar’s Aim is to eventually produce up to 40 Spectrum vehicles annually at its facility near Munich. Per Metzler, it builds nearly all components in house and is already producing two more rockets. The company is operating with about $435 million in funding from private investors as well as the NATO Innovation Fund and German government.

The European Universe Agency (ESA), notably, has also poured millions into Isar and other commercial Kickoff providers through its Boost! program. On Monday, the Universe agency opened the European Launcher Game, which invites applicants to compete for private Kickoff services contracts. The moves mirror NASA’s embrace of commercial firms to Aid ISS Cosmos traveler crew swaps, science missions, and a number of other functions.

“Whatever the outcome, Isar Aerospace’s upcoming Spectrum Kickoff will be historic: the Primary commercial orbital Kickoff from mainland Europe,” Josef Aschbacher, director general of ESA, wrote last week on X. “The Aid and cofunding the European Universe Agency has given Isar Aerospace and other Kickoff service provider startups is paying off for increased autonomy in Europe.”

As Metzler wrote on LinkedIn, privately built rockets like Spectrum could Assist ESA develop its own “Aggressive, flexible, and independent” Universe industry.

Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister for higher education and research and a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s administration, has echoed that sentiment. The newest member of the Ariane family, Ariane 6, debuted about one year after Ariane 5 was retired and completed its Primary commercial mission earlier this month. Subsequent that flight, Baptiste asserted the need for a European alternative to the U.S. orbital Kickoff industry as President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk take aim at NASA and its programs, such as the International Universe Station (ISS).

“If we want to maintain our independence, ensure our security, and preserve our sovereignty, we must equip ourselves with the means for strategic autonomy, and Universe is an essential part of this,” Baptiste said.

Subsequent Spectrum’s Introduction flight, the Cosmos launcher is Anticipated to Kickoff Petite satellites on behalf of the German Universe Agency at DLR. Isar earlier this month also signed a contract with the Norwegian Universe Agency to Kickoff its Arctic Ocean Surveillance satellites from Andøya through 2028.

Editor’s note: A version of this Tale Primary appeared on FLYING.