Isar Aerospace has become the first purely commercial European company to reach orbit, successfully launching its Spectrum rocket from Norway on just its second launch attempt. Founded in 2018, the German startup raised roughly $1 billion and now employs nearly 500 people, positioning itself as a leader in Europe's struggling commercial launch market.
Background
Europe has long relied on government-backed launches through Arianespace and the ESA, with domestic commercial launch capabilities lagging behind US competitors like SpaceX and Rocket Lab.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Sep 11, 2026 at 07:00 PM
- Score
- 8.0 / 10