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Private German Rocket Makes History, Reaches Orbit From European Soil (dw.com) 45

Posted by EditorDavid from the rocket-science dept.
"No rocket had ever reached orbit from Western European soil — until today," reports Space.com.

DW.com reports that a Spectrum space rocket from German company Isar Aerospace launched today from the Arctic Norwegian spaceport at Andoya: "Germany has spaceflight capabilities," said the country's Ministry for Research, Technology and Space on X, praising a "milestone that impressively demonstrates our country's innovative strength and technical expertise". This was the German company's second attempt to launch the Spectrum rocket into space. The first attempt, which took place 18 months ago, was unsuccessful.

The Spectrum rocket is designed for small and medium-sized payloads. It carried five smal satellites and an in-flight technological experiment, the company said. According to Isar Aerospace, the launch was for "both the vehicle's qualification mission and its first flight carrying payload." The move is believed to bring Europe closer to being able to offer satellite flights from its own territory. Several countries voiced interest in the growing market of commercial space missions, including Britain and Sweden...

Isar is also working on the development of a second launch site, located in Canada. The company said that while the US launched 198 rockets last year, Europe's tally was just eight. Isar's goal is to produce some 40 rockets a year. Although the rocket is not yet ready for mass production, Isar has already received orders through 2028.
Today's launch webcast was produced in collaboration with NASASpaceflight, notes Space.com. And they note that Spectrum chief engineer Nikolaos Perakis says"This is just the beginning... I'm really looking forward to the next steps."

Reuters quotes this statemnt from Norway's minister of industry and commerce, Cecilie Myrseth. "The fact that we can now launch satellites from Andoeya strengthens Norwegian and European security in the turbulent times we live in."

Private German Rocket Makes History, Reaches Orbit From European Soil More | Reply

Private German Rocket Makes History, Reaches Orbit From European Soil

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  • Germans launch big rocket (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ahoffer0 ( 1372847 ) on Sunday September 06, 2026 @08:01AM (#66325632)

    I'm glad I lived long enough for the Germans to launch a big rocket and hear the Norwegians say that it strengthens European security.

  • If someone writes "No rocket had ever reached orbit from Western European soil" then you cannot just miss out qualifying words like "Western" to make a headline.

    If I write a story saying "Greytree is the fastest 100m runner called Greytree" you cannot post a story with the headline "Greytree is the fastest 100m runner".

    This is Journalism 101, not rocket science.
  • Hopefully he reads Slashdot.

  • Is there a contest? (Score:3)

    by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Sunday September 06, 2026 @09:13AM (#66325678)
    This isn't a contest as far as I know. Well maybe it is for the checkbox people. With prizes for "firsts"

    What this is, is showing just how far rocketry has been reduced to practice, which is not a bad thing at all.

    Modern Rocketry is nearly a century old, the operational process that the Germans brought to fruition in WW2 has been refined, but yeah, contemporary liquid fueled rocket engines are tweaks of the original. Tweaks of fuel types, gimbaling, pump capacity, and now we have to go to check boxing for "firsts".

    Solid rocket boosters are also largely reduced to practice.

    It's all good people, now a lot of groups can participate.

    • This isn't a contest as far as I know. Well maybe it is for the checkbox people. With prizes for "firsts"

      The commercialization of spaceflight IS a contest. Not sure what else to say, I thought people knew what was going on.

      • This isn't a contest as far as I know. Well maybe it is for the checkbox people. With prizes for "firsts"

        The commercialization of spaceflight IS a contest. Not sure what else to say, I thought people knew what was going on.

        Whoosh.

        Way to miss the point. My point, which is summarized concisely in the first paragraph in the story, to wit:

        "No rocket had ever reached orbit from Western European soil — until today,"

        Do we have data on how many rockets were launched on say Thursday mornings at 0710? By a team of Lithuanian "little people"?

        It is painfully obvious they are check boxing when they go on to list more competition among the spaceworthy:

        "The company said that while the US launched 198 rockets last year, Europe's tally was just eight"If it is as you say, a competition, then this company only has 197 more launches, think they'll make it?

        Much more interesting at least to me, is the location of the launch. Above the Arctic Circle, good for circumpolar orbits - mostly the province of spy sats. But let's look a little deeper.

        About 950 miles or 1529 Kilometers away from Greenland! Perhaps a little geopolitical shot across the bow to a rather unpopular president, who seems to have a weird rageboner to occupy Greenland?

        • About 950 miles or 1529 Kilometers away from Greenland! Perhaps a little geopolitical shot across the bow to a rather unpopular president, who seems to have a weird rageboner to occupy Greenland?
          Nope. As Greenland belongs politically to Europe.
          We would not shoot rockets there.

          And our cruise missiles, if we had to annihilate a carrier group pestering Greenlands: are not fired from land bases but Grippens and Typhoons.

          The fighters have easy a strike range of 2k km and the missiles fly another 600km. Worst cas

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Of course there's a contest, you're just not meant to see it.

      Do you think the space race of the mid-20th century was really about science? Launching humans into space and ultimately landing them on the moon accomplished three things:

      1. Patriotic pride among the populace of the US and USSR
      2. Dick waving by the US and USSR
      3. Proof that there was so much confidence in the rockets built by the US and USSR that they'd put their "best and brightest" aboard them

      If the space race had really been about science, the

    • Re:Is there a contest? (Score:5, Informative)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 ) on Sunday September 06, 2026 @02:12PM (#66326022) Homepage Journal

      The important point is that the EU can now launch things into space from western Europe, it's home base if you like. Previously it was mostly French Guiana, on a different continent. For security reasons that wasn't ideal.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by gweihir ( 88907 )

        Indeed. And that is why this is a big deal. The other part is the cost, which is pretty low, compared to what Europe had before.

        • Indeed. And that is why this is a big deal. The other part is the cost, which is pretty low, compared to what Europe had before.

          Did anyone give consideration to the fact that the launch site is above the arctic circle? Since no one will believe me, here's an easily digestible site that explains.

          https://www.scienceabc.com/eye... [scienceabc.com].

          High latitude launch sites have some serious disadvantages unless you are planning on circumpolar orbits, which means you are planning on launching spy satellites.

          Those launch sites near the equator use the earth's rotation for a speed boost from the earth's rotation which has a significant boost in

          • Isar Aerospace, a commercial company, is planning to launch from Kourou as well as Andoya. Germany has little to do with the Andoya launch site: Andoya is owned by the Norwegian government, with a small share owned by Kongsberg, a missile company.

            Nobody's going to use Western Europe for launching rockets into any orbit other than polar ones: for most orbits, there is no path from any site in Western Europe that does not go over land for at least some of its launch trajectory. Spain comes closest, but even t

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      In is a contest. It concerns economics and sovereignty. Europe has launched orbital rockets for ages but never from geographic Europe and that makes the launch-capability vulnerable as the US goes down the drains.

      • In is a contest. It concerns economics and sovereignty. Europe has launched orbital rockets for ages but never from geographic Europe and that makes the launch-capability vulnerable as the US goes down the drains.

        If this is an entry in a contest, give a dissertation on why it is above the arctic circle. Not much of a market for that.

  • what about Ariane Space? Isn't that a (western) European company? Or is the author of this piece being picky about WHERE the launch pad is located?

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