The first orbital rocket to blast off from Europe crashed less than a minute after liftoff on Sunday, but operators still deemed the mission a success.
German startup Isar launched its Spectrum rocket from Andøya in the Norwegian Arctic at 6:30 a.m. ET on what the company said was a test mission, but the rocket began smoking and fell back to Earth shortly after.
“This enabled the company to collect important flight data and experience for future missions,” Isar said in a statement. “After the flight was stopped at T+30 seconds, the launch vehicle fell into the water in a controlled manner.”
It was the first attempt to launch a rocket from mainland Europe and a step towards bringing the continent into the growing space race. Sweden and the UK have announced plans to enter the commercial spaceflight market.
Orbital rockets are primarily used to deliver satellites and other cargo into space, and Europe has said it plans to become a hub for such launches.
Video of the unmanned mission shows the rocket successfully launching into Norway's snowy mountains and coastline before it stalled, turned around, crashed into the ocean and exploded. However, officials said the mission was useful for gathering intelligence.
“The launch was a success and a lot of data has already been received. I am sure @isaraerospace will learn a lot. Launching a rocket is hard. Never give up, move forward with even more energy!” wrote ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher in a post on X.
Harsh Arctic weather delayed the launch by more than a week. The mission was designed to gather data on the company's launch vehicle and was the first test of its integrated systems.
The company said Spectrum activated the rocket's abort system about 30 seconds after liftoff, causing the vehicle to spin 180 degrees and fall into a planned “safe zone” in the water.
Sourse: www.upi.com
