ANDØYA, Norway: An Isar Aerospace launch reached orbit from continental Europe on September 5, marking a first for a private space mission operating from the region.
The German startup’s Spectrum rocket lifted off from Andøya Spaceport in Norway and delivered a payload of satellites into orbit, according to Bloomberg.
About four minutes after liftoff, the mission became the first privately operated spaceflight from continental Europe to reach orbit.
The flight was Isar Aerospace’s second launch attempt. Earlier efforts had faced delays linked to weather, technical issues and disruption from a boat near the launch area.
Read: Isar Aerospace Spectrum Reaches Orbit From Norway
The successful mission gives Europe another commercial launch option as regional companies seek to compete with U.S. providers for satellite missions.
Chief Executive Daniel Metzler has described limited launch capacity as a bottleneck for the wider space economy, according to a Bloomberg interview referenced in the supplied material.
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The launch took place from Andøya Spaceport on Norway’s northern coast. The supplied material does not provide the satellites’ names, payload mass or final orbital parameters.
