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Isar Aerospace Successfully Delivers Satellites to Orbit on Second Flight
Key points
- Isar Aerospace completed its second orbital launch mission.
- Payloads were successfully deployed into orbit.
- This is the first orbital delivery by a commercial European space company.
- The mission launched from Andøya Space in Norway.
- The mission was named 'Onward and Upward'.
- The launch occurred on 5 September 2026.
- The launch time was 10:12 pm CEST.
- Daniel Metzler is CEO and Co-Founder of Isar Aerospace.
- Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 by three German university students.
- The rocket was named Spectrum.
- The Spectrum rocket is 92 feet (28 meters) tall.
- The launch occurred at 4:12 pm EST (20:12 UTC).
- The rocket reached orbit seven minutes after liftoff.
- The Spectrum rocket is a two-stage vehicle.
- Isar Aerospace attempted a launch last March.
- The March launch attempt lasted 30 seconds before crashing and exploding.
- The launch occurred on a Saturday.
- The launch site is inside the Arctic Circle.
- Isar Aerospace is a German company.
- The Spectrum rocket delivered CubeSats to low-Earth orbit.
- Isar Aerospace's first test flight ended in failure last year.
Successful Orbital Launch
Isar Aerospace successfully launched its second mission, named "Onward and Upward," from its dedicated launch complex at Andøya Space in Norway. The launch occurred at 10:12 pm CEST on September 5, 2026, and resulted in the successful deployment of payloads into orbit.
European Commercial Space Milestone
This mission marks a significant milestone for European spaceflight, as Isar Aerospace became the first commercial space company from Europe to successfully deliver satellites into orbit. This achievement provides a new commercial and institutional launch alternative, addressing a bottleneck in the global space industry.
Mission Achievements
During the flight, the vehicle successfully transited MaxQ, completed Main Engine Cut-Off (MECO) and stage separation, and ignited the second stage as planned. It crossed the Kármán line at 100 kilometers altitude, jettisoned the payload fairing, and reached orbital velocity before completing a circularization burn and spacecraft separation.
Payloads and Future Expansion
The mission's payloads were selected through the Microlauncher Competition of the German Space Agency at DLR, which provides low-cost access to space for educational institutions and start-ups, funded by ESA Boost!. Isar Aerospace is also expanding its launch infrastructure, constructing a launch complex in Nova Scotia, Canada, in addition to its current site in Norway, and nearing completion of a large production facility for launch vehicles in Europe.
Updates
- Isar Aerospace is a German company.
- The Spectrum rocket delivered CubeSats to low-Earth orbit.
- Isar Aerospace's first test flight ended in failure last year.
- The launch occurred on a Saturday.
- The launch site is inside the Arctic Circle.
- The Spectrum rocket is a two-stage vehicle.
- Isar Aerospace attempted a launch last March.
- The March launch attempt lasted 30 seconds before crashing and exploding.
- Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 by three German university students.
- The rocket was named Spectrum.
- The Spectrum rocket is 92 feet (28 meters) tall.
- The launch occurred at 4:12 pm EST (20:12 UTC).
- The rocket reached orbit seven minutes after liftoff.
- The mission was named 'Onward and Upward'.
- The launch occurred on 5 September 2026.
- The launch time was 10:12 pm CEST.
- Daniel Metzler is CEO and Co-Founder of Isar Aerospace.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Germany's Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into orbit, deploying CubeSats from Norway. This marks a significant development for European space access and provides an alternative to current launch providers.
German company Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into low-Earth orbit from Norway, marking Europe's first fully commercial orbital launch. This achievement positions Isar Aerospace as a leader among European launch startups and introduces private capital competition into the continent's space industry.
German company Isar Aerospace successfully launched its two-stage Spectrum rocket into low Earth orbit from Norway. This marks Europe's first entirely commercial orbital rocket, providing an alternative to government-funded launch providers and reducing reliance on non-European options.
German company Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into low-Earth orbit from Norway, marking Europe's first fully commercial orbital launch. This achievement positions Isar Aerospace as a leader in the European launch market, aiming to provide an alternative for commercial and institutional space customers.
Isar Aerospace, a European commercial space company, successfully delivered satellites into orbit on its second flight, mission 'Onward and Upward', from Andøya Space in Norway. This achievement marks the first time a commercial European company has reached orbit, providing an alternative for global space industry launch bottlenecks.
Isar Aerospace, a European commercial space company, successfully launched its second mission, "Onward and Upward," from Andøya Space in Norway, deploying payloads into orbit. This achievement marks the first time a commercial European company has delivered satellites to orbit, providing a new launch alternative for the global space industry.