# German company becomes first in Europe to launch fully commercial orbital rocket

https://mins.news/en/item/47291

- Ars Technica, 2026-09-06 11:55 UTC
- Tech
- Original: https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/german-company-becomes-first-in-europe-to-launch-fully-commercial-orbital-rocket/

> Isar Aerospace, founded in 2018 by three German university students, successfully sent its privately developed two-stage Spectrum rocket into low-Earth orbit from Norway’s Andøya Spaceport on Saturday. The launch makes it Europe’s first fully commercial orbital launch and puts Isar ahead of several European startups competing in the market.

## Related coverage

- [German startup conducts Europe’s first commercial space launch](https://mins.news/en/video/48152) — France 24 English, 2026-09-07
- [Europe gets its first commercial orbital rocket](https://mins.news/en/item/47584) — The Verge, 2026-09-06
- [German startup sends first commercial rocket into orbit from Europe](https://mins.news/en/item/47347) — The Guardian, 2026-09-06