German private rocket makes historic leap into orbit

German aerospace startup Isar Aerospace has confirmed the successful launch of its Spectrum rocket from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway.

Isar Aerospace CEO and Co-Founder Daniel Metzler hailed the achievement as a major milestone for Europe’s space industry, Caliber.Az reports, citing the company.

“We achieved within a few years what had taken the European space industry decades before. Europe now has sovereign access to space.  We have entered into a new chapter for European spaceflight. I am incredibly proud of our team, that has made this success story from Europe possible. We will now focus on rapidly scaling launch vehicle production, deliver on our order pipeline, and meet surging global demand,” Metzler said.

The launch was carried out as part of the Onward and Upward mission. It marked Isar Aerospace’s first successful entry into orbit, strengthening the startup’s position as one of the leading players in Europe’s space industry.

In March 2025, Isar Aerospace’s first German Spectrum launch vehicle crashed shortly after liftoff, with the flight ending just 45 seconds after launch.

By Jeyhun Aghazada