Less than nine months after the inaugural flight of its Spectrum rocket, Isar Aerospace has successfully cleared a critical pre-launch milestone. The company announced the completion of integrated static fire tests for both stages of its second flight vehicle, a major step toward its upcoming launch from Andøya Space in Norway.
During the tests at Isar’s facilities, each stage fired its engines for a full 30 seconds while anchored to the ground. This vital procedure validates the performance and readiness of the entire propulsion system—engines, tanks, avionics, and software—under flight-like conditions. With these tests passed, the stages are now cleared for final integration and transport to the launch pad at Isar’s dedicated launch complex in Andøya.
This swift progression from a first test flight to a second launch campaign underscores Isar’s focus on rapid iteration and operational tempo. The first Spectrum launch in 2023, which flew a controlled suborbital trajectory to gather data, was a learning mission. The company has since incorporated those lessons into this second vehicle at a notably fast pace.
“We are building more than rockets; we are building the capability for nations to access and sustain space on their own terms,” said Daniel Metzler, CEO and Co-founder of Isar Aerospace. “Rapid iteration is how you win in this domain. Being back on the pad less than nine months after our first test flight is proof that we can operate at the speed the world now demands.”
This speed is enabled by a deeply vertical integration strategy. Isar designs and manufactures the vast majority of Spectrum’s components—from structures and engines to avionics—in-house at its new 40,000 square-meter production facility near Munich. This control over the supply chain, combined with highly automated production processes, allows for rapid manufacturing, testing, and design improvements. The factory is built with a capacity to produce more than 30 vehicles per year, aiming to meet the growing demand for dedicated, responsive launch from European soil.
The upcoming mission aims to build on the data from the first flight, targeting a full orbital demonstration. A successful launch would mark a significant leap for European space independence, providing a new, agile pathway to orbit for satellites and strengthening the continent’s ability to deploy and maintain critical space infrastructure reliably and on its own schedule.
