German company Isar Aerospace reported that it was ready to carry out the first orbital launch of the Spectrum rocket. It will take place no earlier than March 24.
Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 in Munich. Like many “new space” companies, it has focused on small carrier development. It was named Spectrum. The rocket has a two-stage design. It is 28 meters long and 2 meters in diameter. It uses propane as a propellant and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer. Spectrum can launch up to 1,000 kilograms of cargo into low-Earth orbit and up to 700 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbit.
In February, Isar Aerospace conducted successful static fire tests of the Spectrum first and second stages. The final step toward launch was to get permission to launch. It was issued by the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority on March 17.
Spectrum will be launched from Norway’s Annøya Spaceport. There will be no payload on board the rocket. The task of the mission is to comprehensively test the new carrier in real flight conditions. The launch will take place no earlier than March 24.
The upcoming launch attempt is an important milestone not only for the company, but also for the European space industry as it seeks to expand its launch capabilities. “In today’s geopolitical climate, our first test flight has much more significance than just launching a rocket: Space is one of the most important platforms for our security, sustainability and technological advancement,” Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace, said in a statement.
It is also worth noting that the Spectrum launch will be the first attempt at a vertical orbital launch from Europe (excluding Russia). In January 2023, Virgin Orbit conducted an aerial launch of a LauncherOne rocket from a Boeing 747 that took off from the UK’s Cornwall Spaceport. But due to problems with the rocket’s second stage, it was unable to reach orbit. Shortly thereafter, Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy.
