Satellites Have Been Launched Into Orbit From Mainland Europe For The First Time

• 6.09.2026, 20:48

The German company Isar Aerospace has launched five satellites into Earth orbit.

The German aerospace startup Isar Aerospace launched the Spectrum launch vehicle, which placed five satellites into low Earth orbit.

Isar Aerospace noted that the startup became the first commercial space company from Europe to successfully place satellites into orbit—on only its second attempt.

The rocket crossed the Kármán line at an altitude of 100 kilometers, after which the second stage placed the payload into orbit. On board were five small CubeSat satellites.

The Spectrum launch vehicle lifted off on September 5 at 10:12 p.m. Central European Time from the Annøya Spaceport in northern Norway.

“In just a few years, we’ve achieved what previously took the European space industry decades to accomplish. Europe now has sovereign access to space. We have entered a new chapter in European space exploration,” said Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace .

This was Isar Aerospace’s second Spectrum launch. The first test flight took place in March 2025. At that time, the rocket lifted off from the launch pad, but about 30 seconds later, the flight was aborted and it fell into the sea. This was the first attempt to launch an orbital rocket from mainland Europe.

Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 and is based near Munich. The company specializes in launching small and medium-sized satellites and develops and manufactures the Spectrum rockets almost entirely on its own. Five more rockets are currently in production.