Isar Aerospace is a German aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider founded in 2018. They are developing "Spectrum," a two-stage, liquid-fueled rocket designed to launch small to medium-sized satellites (up to 1,000 kg) into low Earth orbit. Isar Aerospace operates launch sites in Andøya, Norway and intends to launch from Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana and has secured contracts with customers like Airbus Defence and Space and the Norwegian Space Agency. The company's key investors include the NATO Innovation Fund, Earlybird, Airbus Ventures, and Lakestar.
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Isar Aerospace launched its first Spectrum rocket in March 2025 from the Andøya spaceport in Norway and the flight failed in under one minute.
Several European institutional and commercial customers have signed for future manifests with Isar Aerospace.
Isar Aerospace selected the January 21–23, 2026 launch window based on optimal weather conditions at Andøya Spaceport and final readiness checks of the launch infrastructure.
Isar Aerospace has a revised launch window of January 21 to 23, 2026 for the second test flight of its Spectrum launch vehicle.
If successful, the second Spectrum test flight will enable Isar Aerospace to begin regular commercial operations.
The second test flight of Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum launch vehicle will originate from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway.
Isar Aerospace performed the first launch attempt of its Spectrum vehicle from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway in March, and the vehicle malfunctioned shortly after liftoff, falling into waters adjacent to the launch pad less than a minute after liftoff.
Isar Aerospace secured more than €205 million from the European Launcher Challenge at the ESA ministerial.
The European Space Agency preselected Rocket Factory Augsburg, Isar Aerospace, MaiaSpace, Orbex, and PLD Space as challengers for the European Launcher Challenge in July.
Isar Aerospace scheduled a second Spectrum launch no earlier than Wednesday, January 21 at 9:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. EST) from Andøya carrying five cubesats and a hosted payload to a 500-kilometer polar orbit on a mission called "Onward and Upward."
Isar Aerospace reported that Spectrum is sold out through 2028 and is planning three to four Spectrum flights in the coming year with a long-term production goal of up to 40 rockets per year.
Isar Aerospace marketed the second Spectrum mission as a test flight focused on collecting flight-data through max-Q, stage separation, and second-stage insertion into orbit.
The second Spectrum flight will be the first to carry payloads as part of Isar Aerospace's involvement with the DLR Microlauncher Challenge.
Isar Aerospace is working on Spectrum rockets for flights three through seven, indicating plans to rapidly ramp up its launch cadence.
The funding for Isar Aerospace came with the requirement to launch two sets of payloads with a combined mass of no more than 150 kilograms each over its first two flights.
In December 2021, Isar Aerospace announced that seven payloads had been selected to fly aboard Spectrum’s debut flight.
Isar Aerospace opted not to carry the first set of payloads aboard the inaugural flight of Spectrum.
Isar Aerospace launched its first Spectrum rocket in March 2025 from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway, but it failed less than a minute into flight.
Isar Aerospace is targeting a launch date of January 21, 2026, for Mission 'Onward and Upward', subject to weather, safety, and range clearance.
In December 2025, Isar Aerospace announced successful hot fire tests of both stages of the Spectrum rocket for its second flight.