Norway - March 31, 2025 ANDOYA SPACE CENTER, NORWAY - MARCH 30, 2025 - ISAR AEROSPACE - RESTRICTED: The Spectrum rocket, developed by Isar Aerospace, a Germany-based company aiming to launch satellites from Europe, exploded shortly after liftoff on Sunday, March 30, in Norway. Launched from Andoya Spaceport at 12:30 local time, the rocket detonated mid-flight approximately 30 seconds after takeoff. A loud explosion was heard during the live broadcast, and the 50-ton rocket subsequently crashed near the launch pad on Andoya Island. In a statement, Andoya Space, the operator of the launch facility, confirmed that the rocket fell into the ocean, with no injuries reported. The vehicle fell into the sea in a controlled manner and the launch pad remained intact, the company explained. The German company had aimed to collect critical data from this test flight to support its satellite deployment goals. “Our first test flight met all our expectations, achieving a great success. We had a clean liftoff, 30 seconds of flight and even got to validate our Flight Termination System. We demonstrated that we can not only design and build but also launch rockets," said Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-founder of Isar Aerospace. "I could not be prouder of our entire team for working so hard over the past seven years to reach this important milestone. Today, we laid the foundation to cater to the rising global demand for flexible satellite launch services. Now it’s time to analyze all data, learn, iterate and be back on the launch pad as soon as possible," he noted. Isar Aerospace, a European space company, develops, builds, and operates launch vehicles designed to transport small and medium-sized satellites as well as satellite constellations into Earth's orbit. Reporting by Isar Aerospace // Writing by Mustafa Tuncer