Isar Aerospace reaches orbit on second Spectrum flight

German company Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket, marking the first orbital launch by a European commercial provider from continental Europe. The mission fulfilled the first milestone of ESA's European Launcher Challenge, making Isar Aerospace the first contracted provider to reach orbit.

Daniel TrangeledINTERNATIONAL10 Sept 2026Original Source

On 5 September 2026, German company Isar Aerospace launched its Spectrum rocket. The launch from Andøya Spaceport in Norway was the first orbital launch by a European commercial launch provider from continental Europe.

According to Isar Aerospace and ESA, the mission, named “Onward and Upward,” deployed six commercial and educational CubeSats plus one technology-demonstration payload, selected through the German Space Agency at DLR’s Microlauncher Competition.

Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 and is headquartered near Munich. The company has over 400 employees and is currently building an additional launch site in Nova Scotia, Canada. The new Spectrum rocket is 28 metres long with ten engines, designed to carry payloads of up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit.

The launch was an overall success, with the rocket performing as planned from liftoff to satellite deployment. This followed a first test flight in March 2025 that ended after 30 seconds.

The flight fulfils the first milestone of ESA’s European Launcher Challenge, which requires contracted providers to reach orbit by 2027; Isar Aerospace is the first to do so. French President Emmanuel Macron reacted on X: “Europe is taking its destiny into its own hands, including in the space sector.”

Common questions about the article

Questions and answers generated automatically from the article content.

01What did Isar Aerospace achieve with its second Spectrum flight on 5 September 2026?

Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket launched from Andøya Spaceport, Norway, and reached orbit, marking the first orbital launch by a European commercial launch provider from continental Europe. The two-stage, 28-metre rocket completed MaxQ, stage separation, and crossed the Kármán line, following a first test flight that ended after 30 seconds in March 2025. Last fact-checked: 2026-09-10.

02Which payloads did the Spectrum rocket deploy during the 'Onward and Upward' mission?

03How does this launch relate to ESA's European Launcher Challenge?