A German start-up\u2019s orbital rocket spun out and crashed seconds after take-off Sunday, in a rare European test flight that the makers said \u201cmet its set goals.\u201d <\/p>\n
The flight, from a spaceport in northern Norway, marked the first time a rocket capable of reaching orbit was launched from continental Europe excluding Russia, manufacturer Isar Aerospace said. <\/p>\n
The rocket, called Spectrum, was airborne for only around half a minute before dramatically falling into the chilly Norwegian Sea. <\/p>\n
Isar Aerospace and other European start-ups are scrambling to seize a segment of a rapidly expanding space race, currently dominated by companies and government-owned entities in the United States and China. <\/p>\n
And the company framed Sunday\u2019s launch as a step toward that goal, saying in a statement: \u201cIsar Aerospace met its set goals: After ignition of its first stage, Spectrum successfully lifted off \u2026 for its first test flight lasting approximately 30 seconds. This allowed the company to gather a substantial amount of flight data and experience to apply on future missions.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cAs a company with European roots, we are proud to have shown that Europe has an enduring capacity for bold thinking and grand achievements,\u201d Daniel Metzler, the company\u2019s CEO and co-founder, said in the statement. \u201cWe will be able to serve customers from around the world to bring their satellites into space and to help Europe solve a major blind spot in its security architecture: access to space.\u201d <\/p>\n
The European Space Agency, which is made up of 23 member nations, has already launched rockets into orbit, as have companies such as the French-run ArianeGroup. But both have launched flights from outside Europe, mainly at spaceports in the Americas. <\/p>\n
Leaders in the space industry include Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX, which has launched hundreds of rockets into orbit. <\/p>\n
Europe has historically lagged behind, both in the initial space race of the 1960s and 1970s and the subsequent rush by commercial companies to reach orbit. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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