FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – A German-built rocket launched from Norway’s Andoya Spaceport on Sunday crashed and exploded shortly after liftoff, marking the first commercial orbital launch attempt from mainland Europe.
The Spectrum rocket, developed by German startup Isar Aerospace, lifted off at 12:30 p.m. local time but tilted and fell back to the ground about 30 seconds into the flight, exploding near the launch pad on the island of Andoya. No injuries were reported.
Despite the failure, Isar Aerospace CEO Daniel Metzler described the test flight as meeting expectations, highlighting the valuable data and experience gained for future launches.
The company reiterated its goal to support global satellite deployment and improve Europe’s access to space.
Andoya Spaceport officials emphasized the developmental nature of such tests, with experts noting the importance of learning from errors to advance space technology.
The launch had been delayed multiple times due to weather conditions, with Sunday marking the final day of the scheduled window.
Isar Aerospace, headquartered near Munich, plans to continue refining its launch vehicles to enable the deployment of small and medium-sized satellites into orbit.