Four Subsequent Launch Attempts Were Postponed Until Now.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called the launch of the Spectrum 2 rocket from the Andøya spaceport a historic event for the country, marking a milestone for Norway as a spacefaring nation. The rocket lifted off at 10:12 p.m. local time on Sunday evening. Spectrum is a small two-stage rocket built by German startup Isar Aerospace, designed to carry small and medium-sized satellites into Earth orbit.

The first stage fell into the sea south of Greenland, and the second stage landed near the North Pole. The project is supported by the European Space Agency. According to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, this is the first orbital launch from Western Europe, part of efforts to increase the continent's independence in space launches.

The first test flight in March last year failed when the rocket crashed and exploded 30 seconds after takeoff. Four subsequent launch attempts were postponed until now. Ketil Olsen, CEO of Andøya Space, agreed with Støre that the moment is historic, saying the company's development is so rapid that 30 satellites will be launched from Norway annually within a few years. Daniel Metzler, CEO of Isar Aerospace, who in 2023 promised Crown Prince Haakon to put Norway on the space map, celebrated the successful launch ahead of King Harald's funeral next Wednesday.