First European orbital rocket launch fails, crashes into Norwegian ocean
March 30 (UPI) -- The first orbital rocket launched from Europe crashed less than a minute after it was launched Sunday, but operators still considered the mission a success.
The German startup Isar launched the Spectrum rocket from Andøya spaceport in the Norwegian Arctic at 6:30 a.m. EDT in what the company called a test mission, but it began smoking and crashed back to Earth shortly after.
"This allowed the company to gather a substantial amount of flight data and experience to apply on future missions," Isar said in a statement. "After the flight was terminated at T+30 seconds, the launch vehicle fell into the sea in a controlled manner."
It was the first attempt to launch a rocket from the European mainland and an effort to jump start the continent's move to join the burgeoning space race. Sweden and Britain have said they intend to enter the market for commercial spaceflight.
Orbital rockets are typically used to transport satellites and other cargo into space and Europe has said it intends to become a center for such flights.
Video of the uncrewed mission shows the rocket launching successfully amid Norway's jagged snow-covered mountains along the coast before it stopped accelerating, turned completely around, plummeted into the ocean and exploded. Officials, however, said the mission proved useful for the information gained.
"Success to get off the pad, and lots of data already obtained. I am sure @isaraerospace will learn a lot. Rocket launch is hard. Never give up, move forward with even more energy!" European Space Agency's Director General, Josef Aschbacher posted on X.
Severe Arctic weather had postponed the launch for more than a week. The mission was designed to collect data on the company's launch vehicle and was the first test of its integrated systems.
The company said the Spectrum activated its rocket termination system about 30 seconds into the flight, which caused the craft to turn end for end, 180 degrees, and fall into a planned "safe zone" in the water.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
European leaders seek ‘digital sovereignty' over tech infrastructure
June 21 (UPI) -- Leaders of many European nations say they need to do more to develop technological infrastructure to ensure digital sovereignty instead of relying on services from global tech firms. A recent forum discussion on the market dominance of global corporations assessed the "blurring of the boundaries between economic and political control" among European nations by tech firms. A consensus of attendees at the ongoing Berlin Summit 2025 agreed European nations need to coordinate their efforts to develop infrastructures to "avoid path dependencies and long-term dependence on global platform players," Forum New Economy reported on Friday. "European countries are highly dependent on companies from the USA and China in a variety of technological infrastructures, from cloud services and social media to generative artificial intelligence," Forum New Economy reported. Such companies dominate European markets and are increasing their control of digital infrastructures, innovation networks, supply chains, data flows and research agendas. An example is Microsoft earlier this year suspending the business email account for International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan. The action occurred within months of the ICC issuing a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Although the tech firm suspended Khan's ICC email account, Microsoft officials said it still is providing services for the ICC. The company also announced their intent to support the digital sovereignty of European nations. "We've operated in Europe for more than 40 years, and we have been and always will be a steadfast partner to Europe," Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said in a social media post on Friday. Microsoft is supporting European sovereignty and that of its respective nations with several existing and new tech offerings, Nadella said. The services include Microsoft Sovereign Cloud, Data Guardian, External Key Management and Sovereign Private Cloud. The existing and new offerings "bring digital sovereignty to all European organizations" and"unlock new sovereign ways to run private sovereign clouds," Nadella said. "These new offerings build on decades of pioneering work in sovereign cloud solutions by ourselves and to our partners," he added. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
European leaders seek 'digital sovereignty' over tech infrastructure
1 of 3 | Jensen Huang, founder and chief executive officer of NVIDIA, unveils the latest RTX 5070 laptop processors on stage during the 2025 International CES at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on January 6. File Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo June 21 (UPI) -- Leaders of many European nations say they need to do more to develop technological infrastructure to ensure digital sovereignty instead of relying on services from global tech firms. A recent forum discussion on the market dominance of global corporations assessed the "blurring of the boundaries between economic and political control" among European nations by tech firms. A consensus of attendees at the ongoing Berlin Summit 2025 agreed European nations need to coordinate their efforts to develop infrastructures to "avoid path dependencies and long-term dependence on global platform players," Forum New Economy reported on Friday. "European countries are highly dependent on companies from the USA and China in a variety of technological infrastructures, from cloud services and social media to generative artificial intelligence," Forum New Economy reported. Such companies dominate European markets and are increasing their control of digital infrastructures, innovation networks, supply chains, data flows and research agendas. An example is Microsoft earlier this year suspending the business email account for International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan. The action occurred within months of the ICC issuing a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Although the tech firm suspended Khan's ICC email account, Microsoft officials said it still is providing services for the ICC. The company also announced their intent to support the digital sovereignty of European nations. "We've operated in Europe for more than 40 years, and we have been and always will be a steadfast partner to Europe," Microsoft Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said in a social media post on Friday. Microsoft is supporting European sovereignty and that of its respective nations with several existing and new tech offerings, Nadella said. The services include Microsoft Sovereign Cloud, Data Guardian, External Key Management and Sovereign Private Cloud. The existing and new offerings "bring digital sovereignty to all European organizations" and"unlock new sovereign ways to run private sovereign clouds," Nadella said. "These new offerings build on decades of pioneering work in sovereign cloud solutions by ourselves and to our partners," he added.
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Dog's ashes among dozens to rocket into orbit this weekend
Bone voyage! A beloved dog named Franz will take his final leap this weekend — into Earth's orbit. The yellow labrador's ashes will be on board the inaugural Perseverance Flight from Texas-based Celestis Inc., which is scheduled to launch around 5:30 p.m. Sunday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara, CA. 4 Franz was like a sibling to Elizabeth Moore before he died at age 13 in October 2020. Celestis, Inc Carrying a total of 166 titanium and aluminum capsules, each about a quarter to a half-inch in size and filled with DNA or cremated remains, the 23-foot-tall SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will take two trips around Earth's low orbit at a mind-boggling 17,000 mph. The space flight will last about three hours before the rocket — still carrying its priceless payload — re-enters the atmosphere and lands in the Pacific Ocean somewhere between Alaska and Hawaii, according to Celestis CEO and co-founder Charles Chafer. A recovery ship, which was already out at sea Friday in anticipation of the launch, 'will track the incoming rocket, hopefully get a visual on it, and then go pick it up out of the ocean,' Chafer explained. 4 The Texas-based company Celestis Inc.'s inaugural Perseverance Flight will take two trips around Earth's Lower Orbit after blastoff on Sunday. The capsules will first be transported to Germany, then, within two months, distributed back to the families, who each paid a whopping $3,500 to send their loved one to the stars. While the price to send Franz on the voyage was 'a lot more' than the pooch itself, his owner, Harvin Moore, said with a laugh, it was only fitting for the 'space-fanatic' Moore family to send the pup beyond the stratosphere. 'He was the best dog, just so soft and nice and loved hugs,' recalled Moore, 60, who lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, just outside Austin. 4 The Moore family can't wait to watch their beloved pooch go galactic. Celestis, Inc Franz, who was 13 when he died in October 2020, was more like a sibling than a pet to Moore's now 26-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and son, Quinn, 21, he said. Now, the family can't wait to watch the good boy go galactic. 'The emotional power of being with a group of people who are celebrating the life of a loved one in this way … it's amazing. It's nothing we'll ever forget,' said Moore. 'It's just pure joy.' 4 The Perseverance Flight will carry a total of 166 titanium and aluminum capsules, ranging in size from a quarter to a half-inch, filled with DNA or cremated remains. Celestis, Inc 'Many people whose ashes and DNA are flying are people that always wanted to go to space in their lifetime but were never able to do that. It also helps families move from feelings of grief to joy,' Chafer said. The cremated remains of Wesley Dreyer — an aerospace engineer who helped investigate the cause of the Space Shuttle Challenger's shocking explosion after takeoff on Jan. 28, 1986 — will also be on board the Perseverance Flight, as well as DNA from a living, 3-year-old German boy.
