Spectrum rocket from Isar Aerospace is ready for launch
Isar Aerospace has successfully tested the engines of its Spectrum rocket. It is now ready for its first launch.
Engine test of the Spectrum rocket
(Image: Isar Aerospace)
Isar Aerospace wants to go into space: after a successful engine test, the German aerospace company is waiting for approval for the first launch.
Isar Aerospace has successfully ignited the engines of the first stage of its rocket at Andøya Spaceport in Norway. As the Munich-based company has now announced, the test took place on February 14.
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The second stage engine was successfully ignited at the end of last year. As soon as the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority gives the go-ahead, the rocket can take off from Andøya Spaceport, which is located north of the Arctic Circle.
Almost ready for launch
"We are almost ready for the test flight. We just need approval," said Daniel Metzler, CEO and founder of the company. "By providing access to space from mainland Europe, we are providing an important means of ensuring sovereignty and resilience."
The two-stage Spectrum rocket is 28 meters high and has a diameter of 2 meters. It is designed to deliver 1,000 kilograms of payload into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or 700 kilograms into Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO). The first stage has nine engines, the second has one. Isar Aerospace uses liquid oxygen and propane as fuel.
The entire rocket, including the Aquila engines, was developed by the company itself. Having the entire value chain in its own hands gives the company "maximum flexibility and independence", said Josef Fleischmann, Head of Technology and one of the founders.
400 million euros raised
Isar Aerospace was founded in 2018 by three graduates of the Technical University of Munich. The company has raised 400 million euros in several rounds of financing, making it the best-funded German aerospace start-up.
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In addition to Isar Aerospace, Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), HyImpulse and the Gaia Aerospace association are also developing rockets in Germany. RFA wants to launch from the SaxaVord rocket launch site on the Shetland Islands. However, the RFA One rocket exploded last August during engine testing.
(wpl)
