First orbital rocket launched from continental Europe crashes after takeoff | Space

A test rocket intended to launch satellite launches from Europe fell to the ground and exploded less than a minute after takeoff from Norway on Sunday, in what the German startup Isar Aerospace described as an initial test.

The spectrum began to smoke on its sides and crashed on Earth in a powerful explosion just after its launch from the Spaceport Andøya in the Arctic. The images were broadcast live on YouTube.

The unrealized rocket was presented as the first attempt at orbital flight to come from Europe, where several countries, including Sweden and Great Britain, said they wanted a growing market of commercial space missions.

Orbital rockets are designed to place loads such as satellites in or beyond the orbit of the earth.

Isar Aerospace, who warned that the initial launch could end prematurely, said the test had produced in -depth data that his team could learn.

The rocket left the cushion at 12:30 p.m. local time (11:30 am BST) on Sunday and stole for about half a minute before the flight, said Isar.

“This allowed the company to collect a substantial amount of data and flight experience to apply on future missions,” said Isar in a statement. “After the end of the flight at T + 30 seconds, the launch vehicle fell into the sea in a controlled manner.”

The director general of the European space agency, Josef Aschbacher, posted on X: “Success to leave the cushion, and a lot of data already obtained. I’m sure @isaryerospace will learn a lot. The launch of the rocket is difficult. Never give up, go ahead with even more energy! ”

The spectrum is designed for small and medium -sized satellites weighing up to a metric ton, although it has not carried a payload during its inaugural trip from the space in Norway.

The mission aimed to collect data on the launch vehicle of Isar Aerospace in a first integrated test of all its systems, announced last week Bavarian.

The company, whose headquarters are in Munich, had previously declared that it would consider a 30 second flight as a success. Although it is not intended to reach Orbit during its first mission, the test marked the first commercial orbital flight from a launch on the European continent, excluding Russia.

European countries have long been based on the payment of launches from the Russian space stations, but the relationship has fallen down since the large -scale invasion of Ukraine by Moscow in February 2022.

American companies, including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin and Boeing, emerge as major players in a budding industry to send satellites, such as wide -band Internet or observation equipment, in space for governments and private companies. Chinese companies also seek to capitalize on the new sector.

Many estimates suggest that the world space industry could generate more than $ 1 billion income (770 billion pounds sterling) over the next two decades.

Isar Aerospace intends to the spectrum to be able to launch up to 1,000 kg in low orbit, an area of ​​space up to approximately 1,200 miles high where most of the satellites shoot in the world. Founded in 2018, the startup has developed its rocket almost entirely internally.

Before the test flight, Aschbacher had said: “Whatever the result, the next launch of the Specter of Isar Aerospace will be historic: the first commercial orbital launch from continental Europe. The support and co -financing of the European space agency have given Isar Aerospace and other startups of launching services providers are paying for increased autonomy in Europe.”

Last year, a report by Mario Draghi, a former president of the European Central Bank and former Prime Minister of Italy, recommended that Europe could stimulate its economic growth by recognizing space as a key sector. Independent access to space is also increasingly considered as a geopolitical and safety problem.

The European space industry has experienced delays in the development of the Ariane 6 rocket and the suspension of the European Satellite launcher Vega-C after an accident.

In addition to the ISAR aerospace, Europe is home to Anlemagne Hyimulse and Rocket Factory Augsburg (FRG), French groups Latitude and Maiaspace and Spain’s PLD space.

Several destinations across Europe have been marked for spaceport projects, including the British Shetland Islands, the Portuguese Azores and Esrange in Sweden. Coastal areas near free water stretching are considered ideal places for launch sites, because rockets do not have to fly on highly populated land areas.

Great Britain was a mixed success as a launch destination. Virgin Orbit, the satellite launch company founded by Richard Branson, filed for bankruptcy in 2023 after his inaugural flight from Cornwall – with a rocket attached to a Boeing 747 – ended with a failure.

Isar Aerospace signed a contract with Norwegian Space Agency to orbit two maritime surveillance satellites by 2028.

AFP and Reuters contributed to this report