Isar Aerospace Spectrum Rocket Set for Second Test Flight, a Key Test for European Commercial Launch
Summary: German launch startup Isar Aerospace is preparing to launch its Spectrum rocket on its second test flight from Andøya Spaceport in Norway on April 9. The launch window opens at 10 p.m. CEST (20:00 UTC). The mission carries five CubeSats and one technology demonstration payload, marking a critical step for European commercial orbital launch capability.
Mission Overview
Isar Aerospace's Spectrum is a two-stage liquid oxygen-kerosene rocket designed for the small satellite launch market. This second test flight (mission name "Onward and Upward") has Exolaunch managing payload integration and deployment.
The six payloads aboard include:
- CyBEEsat — TU Berlin (Germany)
- TriSat-S — University of Maribor (Slovenia)
- Platform 6 — EnduroSat (Bulgaria)
- FramSat-1 — NTNU (Norway)
- SpaceTeamSat1 — TU Wien Space Team (Austria)
- Let it Go — Dcubed (Germany, technology experiment)
Delay History
The launch has been postponed three times due to various causes:
- Originally January 21: delayed due to pressurization valve issue
- March 23: delayed due to strong winds
- March 25: delayed due to boat in the keep-out zone
Background
Isar Aerospace is one of Europe's most prominent commercial launch startups. Spectrum's first test flight in March 2025 failed shortly after liftoff. The success or failure of this second attempt will directly impact confidence and investment prospects in Europe's commercial launch industry.
Europe's orbital launch market is currently dominated by Arianespace (Vega-C, Ariane 6), with a notable absence of commercial launch providers comparable to SpaceX or Rocket Lab in the United States. Isar Aerospace, along with Maespace and others, aims to fill this gap.