OSLO, March 30 — A test rocket intended to pave the way for satellite launches from Europe crashed and exploded just 40 seconds after liftoff from a Norwegian spaceport today, marking an early setback for German startup Isar Aerospace.
OSLO, March 30 — A test rocket intended to pave the way for satellite launches from Europe crashed and exploded just 40 seconds after liftoff from a Norwegian spaceport today, marking an early setback for German startup Isar Aerospace.
The uncrewed Spectrum rocket was touted as Europe's first attempt at an orbital flight, as several nations, including Sweden and Britain, vie for a share of the expanding commercial space market.
Despite the failure, Isar Aerospace, which had cautioned that the maiden launch might not go as planned, stated that the test provided valuable data for future improvements.
Launching from Norway’s Arctic Andøya Spaceport, the Spectrum rocket is designed to carry small and medium-sized satellites of up to one metric tonne, though no payload was included in this initial flight.
The mission aimed to evaluate the company’s internally developed launch vehicle, serving as the first comprehensive test of all its systems, the Bavarian-based startup said last week. — Reuters
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