The first phase of nine engine for the Isar Aerospace spectrum rocket illuminated on the launch platform on 14 February.
Credit: Isar Aerospace
Isar builds almost all its rockets in-house, including the Aquila engines from Spectrum.
“The flight will be the first integrated test of tens of thousands of components,” said Josef Fleischmann, co-founder of ISAR and Chief Technical Officer. “Regardless of how far we get, this first test flight will hopefully generate an enormous amount of data and experience that we can apply to future missions.”
Isar is the first European startup to achieve this point in development. “Reaching this milestone is a huge success in itself,” Meltzer said in a statement. “And although Spectrum is ready for the first test flight, launch vehicles for flights two and three are already in production.”
Another Bavarian company, Rocket Factory Augsburg, destroyed his first booster last year during a test-firing on his launch platform in Scotland, and the leader mantel handed over to ISAR. RFA received its launch license from the British government last month and wants to deliver its second booster to the launch site for Hot-Fire tests and a launch attempt later this year.
There is an appetite within the European launch industry for new companies to compete with Arianespace, the only operational launch services provider of the continent, supported by substantial government support. Delays in developing the Ariane 6 -rocket and various failures of Europe's smaller Vega Launcher forced European satellite operators to look abroad, mainly at SpaceX, to launch their charge.
The European Space Agency organizes the European Launcher Challenge, a competition that will set aside some satellites from the desk for launch options with a new harvest of startups. Isar is one of the best contenders in the competition to win ESA money. The agency expects to grant financing to several European launch providers after releasing a definitive invitation later this year.
The first flight of the Spectrum Rocket will try to reach a polar track that flying north of Andøya spaceport. Located at around 69 degrees North Latitude, the space port is ready to become the world's most northern orbital launch site.
Because the inaugural launch of the Spectrum Rocket is a test flight, it will not bear a charge of the customer, an Isar spokesperson told Ars.
