Isar Aerospace's Spectrum Rocket Set for Maiden Flight from Norway, Marking Europe's Continental Launch Debut

Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket is set for its inaugural flight from Andøya Spaceport in Norway, targeting a launch window starting March 24. This event marks the first orbital launch from continental Europe. The two-stage Spectrum rocket, developed in-house over seven years, stands 95 feet tall and is designed to carry up to 2,200 pounds to low-Earth orbit. The initial flight will focus on data collection, foregoing any customer payloads. Andøya Spaceport, opened in 2023, was specifically built to accommodate Isar and the Spectrum rocket. Powered by nine liquid oxygen/propane engines on its main booster and a single Aquila engine for orbital maneuvers, Spectrum has already secured a contract with the Norwegian Space Agency to launch Arctic Ocean Surveillance satellites by 2028. Isar aims to achieve several mission milestones during the flight, prioritizing data acquisition.