Isar Aerospace Targets March 24 for First Test Flight of Spectrum Launch Vehicle

Insider Brief

• Isar Aerospace is preparing for the first test flight of its Spectrum launch vehicle, scheduled for no earlier than Monday, March 24, 2025, at Andøya Spaceport in Norway.
• This will be the first time an orbital launch vehicle lifts off from continental Europe.
• The company intends to use the flight to stress-test the vehicle’s capabilities and improve the design of future vehicles.

Isar Aerospace announced it is gearing up for the first test flight of its Spectrum launch vehicle, scheduled for no earlier than Monday, March 24, 2025, at Andøya Spaceport in Norway. This will be the first time an orbital launch vehicle lifts off from continental Europe. The launch will be conducted during a four-hour window, from 12:30 pm CET to 03:30 pm CET, depending on weather, safety conditions, and range infrastructure readiness.

The mission, dubbed ‘Going Full Spectrum,’ aims to gather crucial data and insights. It will be the first full test of the Spectrum vehicle’s systems, which were developed almost entirely in-house by Isar Aerospace. Though no customer payloads will be onboard, the company intends to use the flight to stress-test the vehicle’s capabilities and improve the design of future vehicles.

Isar Aerospace’s progress reflects its broader goal of advancing Europe’s space capabilities. The company has exclusive access to the first launch pad at Andøya Spaceport, which was designed to meet its specifications. This spaceport, now the first operational orbital launch site in continental Europe, began construction in 2021. The Spectrum launch vehicle will be the first to take off from the site, highlighting the region’s growing importance in the global space industry.

The test flight will provide essential data that will inform the development of future Spectrum rockets. Isar Aerospace’s commitment to expanding its capabilities is evident in its ongoing efforts to build and test new versions of the vehicle. The results from this mission will play a key role in the company’s plans for future launches, which could potentially include commercial satellite payloads in subsequent flights.

Image credit: Isar Aerospace