German’s Isar Aerospace Launches ‘Spectrum Rocket’ into Space

Key facts

• Isar Aerospace, a German space company, successfully launched its Spectrum rocket into orbit, becoming the first commercial space company from Europe to do so.
• The Spectrum rocket carried five scientific satellites and a scientific experiment.
• The rocket crossed the Kármán line at an altitude of about 100 kilometres above Earth's surface.
• The launch took place from the Norwegian spaceport at Andøya at 10:12 pm (2012 GMT).
• The Spectrum rocket is 28 metres long.
• Isar Aerospace aims to produce 40 rockets per year.
• Isar Aerospace has orders worth several hundred million dollars through 2028.
• The Spectrum rocket is intended to place civilian and military satellites into low Earth orbit.
• Isar Aerospace has raised more than half a billion euros, including a €200-million contract with the European Space Agency (ESA).
• Europe currently relies on SpaceX for most satellite launches; the US launched 198 rockets last year while Europe launched only eight.
• The first Spectrum launch in March last year crashed into the sea 30 seconds after take-off.