German startup Isar Aerospace has become the first European company to successfully launch a fully commercial orbital rocket, with its Spectrum vehicle reaching low-Earth orbit from Norway's Andøya Spaceport. Founded in 2018 by three Munich university students, the achievement marks a major milestone for Europe's sovereign access to space and positions Isar as the leader among European launch startups.
Background
Europe has long relied on Arianespace and the European Space Agency for orbital launches, with the sector struggling against growing competition from SpaceX and other commercial providers. Several European launch startups have emerged in recent years aiming to break this dependency.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Sep 6, 2026 at 07:55 PM
- Score
- 8.0 / 10