Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket lifts off from Arctic Norway

German startup Isar Aerospace launched its Spectrum rocket from a spaceport in Arctic Norway on Saturday, marking a significant step in Europe's push to offer satellite launches from its own soil.

The uncrewed rocket lifted off from the Andøya Spaceport, carrying five small satellites and an in-flight technological experiment. The mission is designed for small and medium-sized payloads, according to the Bavarian company.

It was not immediately clear whether the rocket would achieve orbital flight, which would make it the first such mission to originate from Europe. The launch is intended to serve as both the vehicle's qualification mission and its first flight carrying payload.

This is Isar Aerospace's second attempt. The company's first rocket crashed and exploded shortly after takeoff from the same site 18 months ago, though no one was injured. That earlier launch was still considered a success by the company for the large amount of data it generated for developers.

Ahead of Saturday's launch, Isar co-founder and CEO Daniel Metzler said that "access to space remains one of the biggest constraints for the space industry and national security architecture."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited the launch site in March, highlighting Europe's efforts to build greater autonomy in space capabilities. The continent currently relies on foreign providers, with major players including Elon Musk's SpaceX in the United States and French ArianeGroup, which launches from French Guiana in South America.