Europe Has Relied On SpaceX To Reach Orbit. A German Startup Just Gave It Another Option

A German startup successfully sent satellites into orbit from Norway over the weekend, giving Europe's commercial space industry a milestone it had pursued for years as governments seek greater control over how European satellites reach space.

Isar Aerospace's two-stage Spectrum rocket lifted off from Andøya Spaceport in Arctic Norway at 10:12 p.m. local time Saturday and reached orbit before deploying five small satellites and a technology experiment. It was the first successful commercial orbital launch from continental Europe and came on only the rocket's second flight, CNBC reported Monday.

The achievement came less than 18 months after Spectrum's first test ended dramatically. The rocket lifted off from the same Norwegian site in March 2025 but lost control shortly afterward and fell into the sea, exploding about 40 seconds after launch. No payloads were aboard that flight, Reuters reported at the time.

Saturday's flight went much further. Spectrum passed through maximum aerodynamic pressure, shut down its first-stage engines, separated its stages and continued into space before releasing its payloads. The 28-meter rocket uses 10 engines and is designed to carry payloads of up to 1,000 kilograms, or about 2,200 pounds, to low Earth orbit, the European Space Agency said.

For Isar Aerospace, reaching orbit shifts the focus toward producing rockets at a much larger scale. Chief Commercial Officer Stella Guillen told CNBC that the launch industry was "desperate" for additional capacity and said Isar had a commercial pipeline exceeding €10 billion, or about $11.6 billion. The privately held company did not specify how much of that pipeline consists of contracted orders.

Isar is already building its next five Spectrum rockets and has opened a new production facility near Munich with capacity to manufacture as many as 40 launch vehicles annually. The company is also working on a second launch site in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The expansion comes as European governments seek to strengthen their ability to put satellites into orbit without depending heavily on providers outside the continent. Russia's invasion of Ukraine accelerated that effort after Europe suspended cooperation with Moscow on Soyuz launches in 2022, removing one of the launch options European satellite operators had previously used.

Europe then endured a period in which its own access to orbit was severely constrained. Ariane 5 was retired in 2023, its Ariane 6 replacement was delayed, and problems with Vega C further reduced available launch capacity. Some European missions were moved to Elon Musk's SpaceX, including launches that otherwise would have used European or Russian rockets. Reuters described the situation ahead of Ariane 6's 2024 debut as a year-long gap in Europe's autonomous access to space.

Ariane 6 has since entered regular service, but Europe is still trying to increase launch capacity. ArianeGroup is studying whether production can be expanded beyond the nine to 10 Ariane 6 missions annually targeted for 2027 as the European Space Agency examines ways to increase the number of Ariane 6 and Vega C launches. Supply constraints, including production of solid propellant, remain among the obstacles to increasing the rate.

Isar is targeting a different part of the launch market. Spectrum is built primarily for small and medium-sized satellites and constellations, while Ariane 6 can carry much heavier payloads. Isar says growing numbers of communications, Earth-observation and defense satellites have contributed to demand for dedicated launches.

That demand has increasingly included military customers as Russia's war in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of satellites for communications, surveillance and battlefield operations. Isar said in June that defense customers accounted for about 60% of its demand over the preceding 12 months, compared with a customer pipeline that had previously been overwhelmingly civilian. The company raised €270 million in a Series D funding round that month to increase production and expand its launch network.

Its investors include Porsche, Lakestar, HV Capital and the NATO Innovation Fund. The European Space Agency has also committed approximately €200 million to Isar under its European Launcher Challenge, a program intended to support a new generation of European launch providers.

Saturday's mission completed the first major milestone of that program. Companies participating in the European Launcher Challenge are required to demonstrate an orbital launch by the end of 2027, and Isar became the first selected provider to do so, ESA said.

The successful flight also comes as the strategic role of commercial space companies has become increasingly visible during the Ukraine war. SpaceX's Starlink has provided satellite connectivity to Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion, while European governments have increased spending on their own military space capabilities. Russia has also been working on a satellite communications network intended to provide an alternative to Starlink for its forces.

Isar remains far smaller than SpaceX, which operates at a launch frequency no European company currently approaches. But Saturday's mission added another European launcher at the same time that governments and satellite operators are seeking more choices for reaching orbit.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the launch the beginning of a "new era" for European spaceflight, while EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said it strengthened Europe's independent access to space. The European Commission said Spectrum was the first privately developed rocket to reach orbit from continental Europe.