Space is hard, but some heads are harder still
On 30 March 2025, Isar Aerospace made an inaugural attempt to launch its two-stage Spectrum rocket from Norway’s Andøya Spaceport. Although the rocket successfully cleared the pad, its vector control system appeared to begin overcorrecting following the flight’s pitch-over manoeuvre. Around 30 seconds after liftoff, the flight termination system shut down all nine first-stage engines, sending the rocket plummeting into the sea below, where it exploded on impact a short distance from the launch site.
Following the failed debut, two videos showing the spectacular final moments of the Spectrum rocket were released by NSF, Isar Aerospace’s streaming partner, and launch site operator Andøya Space. Commenting on one of the clips, former ArianeGroup CEO Alain Charmeau offered what can only be described as pointed criticism of Europe’s s…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Europe in Space to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.