German launch vehicle company Isar Aerospace has successfully completed testing of its first Spectrum rocket and is now awaiting regulatory approval for its maiden launch. The company announced on February 21 that it had conducted a static-fire test of the rocket’s first stage a week earlier, firing its nine engines for 30 seconds. A similar test of the upper stage was completed in the third quarter of 2024.
Isar Aerospace performed a static-fire test of the first stage of its Spectrum rocket.. Credit: Isar Aerospace
With these tests confirming the rocket’s technical readiness, Isar Aerospace is now on standby for its debut flight. “We are almost ready for the test flight. All we need is the license,” said Daniel Metzler, chief executive and co-founder of Isar Aerospace.
The Spectrum rocket is set to launch from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway, with the launch date dependent on obtaining a license from the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority. The spaceport itself was licensed last August, and Isar Aerospace is now working through the final regulatory steps to secure approval. While the company did not specify when it expects to receive the license, it noted that the launch period will be determined as part of the licensing process.
Designed to carry up to 1,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit and 700 kilograms into a sun-synchronous orbit, Spectrum is among several new European launch vehicles aiming to reach orbit. However, no European startup has successfully achieved this milestone yet.
Originally, Isar Aerospace planned the first launch of Spectrum last year. “We wanted to launch a few months back, but we needed to test, and we will continue testing until we feel ready to proceed,” said Stella Guillen, Isar’s chief commercial officer, during a panel discussion at the Smallsat Symposium on February 4. “We want this to happen as soon as possible.”
Beyond developing the Spectrum rocket, Isar Aerospace has built a scalable production and testing infrastructure since its founding in late 2018. The company’s current factory can produce six to eight rockets per year, with plans to scale up to 30–40 rockets annually in a larger facility.
“Launching is not easy, and we are rigorously testing because we are preparing for a steady launch cadence,” Guillen added. “This is not just a one-time launch; we are building a sustainable launch capability.”
To support this vision, Isar Aerospace is already manufacturing its second and third Spectrum rockets ahead of the first test flight. This initial launch will serve as a comprehensive evaluation of the rocket’s integrated systems.
“The flight will be the first integrated test of tens of thousands of components,” said Josef Fleischmann, Isar’s co-founder and chief technology officer. “Regardless of how far we get, this test flight will generate invaluable data and experience that we can apply to future missions.”
Add comment
Comments