Isar Aerospace Launches First Fully Commercial Orbital Rocket in Europe

<p>Isar Aerospace, founded in 2018 by three students at a German university, successfully launched a privately-developed rocket into low-Earth orbit on September 6, 2026, from a Norwegian spaceport inside the Arctic Circle.</p><p>The two-stage rocket, named Spectrum, became the first fully commercial launch vehicle in Europe to reach orbit. With this success, Isar is positioned as a leader among several European launch startups aiming to enhance competition in Europe's launch market.</p><p>Isar's 92-foot-tall (28-meter) Spectrum rocket lifted off at 4:12 pm EST (20:12 UTC) from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway, where it was 10:12 pm local time as the final bluish hues of daylight faded from the late summer sky. Seven minutes later, the rocket achieved orbit.</p>