German company becomes first in Europe to launch fully commercial orbital rocket
"We achieved within a few years what had taken the European space industry decades before.".
"We achieved within a few years what had taken the European space industry decades before."
The short version
- The two-stage rocket, named Spectrum, became the first fully commercial launch vehicle in Europe to reach orbit.
- With Saturday’s success, Isar is the clear leader among a pack of several European launch startups vying to inject some competition into Europe’s stagnant launch market.
- Isar’s 92-foot-tall (28-meter) Spectrum rocket lifted off at 4:12 pm EST (20:12 UTC) Saturday from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway, where it was 10:12 pm local time as the final bluish hues of daylight faded from the late summer sky.
What happened
Seven minutes later, the rocket was in orbit. “Today, Isar Aerospace opened space from continental Europe,” said Daniel Metzler, the company’s co-founder and CEO, in a press release.
Why it matters
“Launch continues to be the largest bottleneck for the global space industry and from today on, there is a true alternative for commercial and institutional customers.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.