German company Isar Aerospace has successfully launched a satellite into orbit, a first for a private European company.

Isar Aerospace, a German space company founded in 2018, launched a rocket from its launch site in Andøya, Norway, and placed a satellite into geostationary orbit. This was Isar's second launch.

History for European spaceflight: Isar Aerospace reaches orbit and deploys payloads on second flight - Isar Aerospace

ISAR is a space company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Ottobrunn, near Munich. They developed the ' Spectrum ,' a two-stage liquid-fueled rocket capable of launching up to 1,000 kg (1 ton) into low Earth orbit. On March 30, 2025, they conducted their first launch mission, 'Going Full Spectrum,' but an anomaly was detected approximately 30 seconds after launch, resulting in an abort order. Spectrum's engines shut down and it fell into the ocean.

According to Isar, the Spectrum's flight safety system itself was functioning normally, and the malfunction appears to have been caused by the unintended opening of the exhaust valve and the loss of attitude control at the start of a roll maneuver.

Alexandre Daronau, Vice President of Mission and Launch, commented, 'The first flight test was a great achievement for our company and the team, providing valuable insights into all the systems. We have already taken the necessary corrective actions and are looking forward to returning to the launch pad soon. We launch, learn, and repeat.'

This mission, 'Onward and Upward,' which was the first in about a year and a half, was launched from Andorja in Norway, just like the previous one, and successfully deployed its payload into orbit.

Daniel Metzler, co-founder and CEO of Isar, commented as follows:

'Isar Aerospace has opened the door to space from Europe. Launches have remained the biggest bottleneck for the global space industry, but from today, a real option has been created for private and corporate customers.'

'We have accomplished in just a few years what the European space industry once took decades to achieve. Europe has secured its own route to space. We have ushered in a new chapter for European space travel. I am incredibly proud of the team that created this success story from Europe. Moving forward, we will focus on rapidly expanding rocket production, ensuring the fulfillment of our order pipeline, and meeting the growing global demand.'

ISAR has already manufactured Spectrum rockets number 3 through 7, and once the new factory is completed, it will have the capacity to produce up to 40 rockets per year.