Isar Aerospace Delays Spectrum Rocket Launch Again: 4th Time

Technical problems Isar Aerospace Postpones Rocket Launch for the Fourth Time

2026-06-16 Source: dpa 1 min Reading Time

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The rocket refuses to take off: the Bavarian space start-up Isar Aerospace is once again struggling with technical problems.

The Bavarian space start-up Isar Aerospace has postponed the planned second test flight of its launch vehicle for the fourth time. The reason was a renewed technical issue, as the company announced on its website. According to the statement, there was a malfunction in the fluid systems.

No further explanations were provided in the brief announcement. A rocket's fluid systems regulate the storage and transport of liquid fuel to the engines. The second test flight was originally planned for the beginning of this year, but launch preparations had already been aborted three times in January, March, and April.

On the first attempt, there was a technical problem; the second time, a Norwegian fisherman intervened by failing to leave the safety zone in the waters off the launch base in time. Technical issues recurred during the third and fourth attempts.

Fully booked until 2028

Once production-ready, the Spectrum is intended to carry civil and military satellites into low Earth orbits a few hundred kilometres above the ground. The goal of the company, based in Ottobrunn near Munich, is to produce 40 rockets per year.

According to the company, Isar Aerospace is already fully booked with orders worth several hundred million dollars until 2028, despite the rocket not yet being production-ready. The political significance of the young company, founded only in 2018, was underscored by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), who visited the site in Andøya on 13 March together with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Europe falling behind

The reason for the great interest is Europe's current widespread inability to launch satellites into space using its own technology. For a long time, the vast majority of European satellites have been transported into space by the US space company SpaceX.

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