Isar Aerospace launches first private rocket to orbit

German startup Isar Aerospace successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into orbit from Norway on Saturday, marking the first time a privately developed rocket has reached orbit from continental Europe. The launch occurred at 10:12 p.m. CEST (20:12 GMT) on September 5, 2026, from the Andøya Spaceport in Arctic Norway, the company confirmed. The mission, dubbed "Onward and Upward," carried five small satellites and a technological experiment, which were successfully deployed in orbit. The 28-meter-tall, two-stage rocket completed a series of key milestones during its ascent, including passing through maximum pressure, stage separation, and a circularization burn. The company announced on social media that it had achieved orbit and made European history. Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace, stated in a release that the company had achieved in a few years what had taken the European space industry decades before, adding that Europe now has sovereign access to space. The successful flight comes after months of delays and follows a failed debut mission in March 2025, when the Spectrum rocket crashed and exploded less than a minute after takeoff.