German rocket: successful test flight
The German Spectrum rocket has been launched in Norway. The flight lasted half a minute and is hailed as a great success. More is planned.
Andøya/Ottobrunn (dpa) - The Spectrum rocket made by south German start-up Isar Aerospace has undertaken its first test flight. The flight lasted for around 30 seconds and was then terminated, the rocket falling into the sea in a controlled manner, according to the company. Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder, described the mission as a “great success”. He said that the goal of the test flight was to gather as much data and as much experience as possible. And that this was achieved. In future, the company wants to support customers worldwide by bringing their satellites into space and helping Europe “solve a major blind spot in its security architecture: access to space”. Work is already underway on two other rockets. “Isar Aerospace is preparing for the next launch.”
Acting Economics Minister Robert Habeck said that Germany, in launching the Spectrum rocket, had impressively demonstrated that it was an important centre for the development of space technology, and spoke of a milestone for the country’s competitiveness in space travel. Marie-Christine von Hahn, CEO of the German Aerospace Industries Association, also described the mission as a groundbreaking step for German space exploration.