Spectrum

Isar Aerospace

Germany's first privately funded orbital rocket — Europe's entry into the new space race.

Spectrum is a two-stage small-lift launch vehicle built by German startup Isar Aerospace. Designed and manufactured almost entirely in-house — including its Aquila engines — it targets a price point of roughly €10,000 per kilogram to low Earth orbit. Its first stage is powered by nine Aquila engines burning liquid oxygen and propane, with a single Aquila on the second stage. After a maiden flight in March 2025 that ended seconds after liftoff, Spectrum reached orbit on its second attempt in September 2026, deploying several academic cubesats and becoming the first privately funded European rocket to do so. Spectrum launches from Andøya Spaceport in Norway, with the Guiana Space Centre planned as a second site.

Fun facts

Spectrum's second flight on 5 September 2026 made Isar Aerospace the first European private company to reach orbit with a privately funded rocket.

Its first stage uses nine Aquila engines burning liquid oxygen and propane — a clean, high-density propellant combination.

Spectrum is designed for a price point of about €10,000 per kilogram delivered to orbit.

Height

28 m

Diameter

2 m

Mass

—

Stages

Thrust

675 kN

Payload LEO

1,000 kg

Payload GTO

—

Total flights

Success rate50.0%

1 success1 failure

Launch pads

Andøya Rocket Range, Nordland, Norway

No upcoming launches scheduled.