Europe’s Rocket Dreams Go Up In Smoke Just Moments After Liftoff

A major space launch meant to put Europe in the spotlight ended with a bang Sunday after a German rocket collapsed into the ocean only seconds after taking flight. The failure drew renewed attention to the continent’s heavy dependence on U.S. space technology.

The rocket, named Spectrum, was developed by Germany’s Isar Aerospace. It took off from the Andoya Spaceport in Norway but quickly began showing signs of failure. Within 40 seconds, it spiraled and exploded over the Arctic waters, cutting short what was supposed to be a historic milestone.

The test had been promoted as Europe’s first orbital launch attempt from its own territory. But the crash made headlines for the wrong reasons. While Isar’s team claimed the launch met their internal goals, it marked yet another failed attempt to challenge the dominance of companies like SpaceX.

Unlike NASA and American firms that have decades of experience and dozens of successful launches, Europe has struggled to build a reliable space launch program of its own. ESA, the European Space Agency, depends on facilities far from the continent and has yet to develop the reusable technology mastered by U.S. counterparts.

Despite the fireball ending, Isar CEO Daniel Metzler called it a “great success” and said the company was proud to be moving European space capability forward. The 92-foot, two-stage rocket was unmanned and did not carry a satellite.

This failure comes after previous European attempts — including Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit launch from the UK in 2023 — also ended in disappointment. That company ceased operations soon afterward.

Though framed as progress, the crash highlighted Europe’s struggle to break free from reliance on the U.S. when it comes to high-end aerospace technology. Musk’s SpaceX alone has launched hundreds of rockets and continues to lead the industry in both commercial and national defense operations.

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