Spectrum Flight 2 (Onward and Upward)

The payload

Second flight of Isar Aerospace's Spectrum, a two-stage, 28 m launcher with ten engines built to carry up to 1,000 kg to low Earth orbit. ESA reports that Spectrum reached orbit after lifting off from Andøya Spaceport at 21:12 BST/22:12 CEST (20:12 UTC) on 5 September 2026, and titles it the first launch to orbit from continental Europe. The payloads were selected through the German Space Agency at DLR's first Microlauncher Competition, which Isar won, and ESA supported the Spectrum launch service under its Boost! programme. ESA says the flight makes Isar the first provider to meet the European Launcher Challenge's first milestone, an orbital launch no later than 2027.

Status history

1. 2 Oct 2026Added as launched, four weeks after the flight, which earlier passes of this board missed. ESA's report of 7 September records Spectrum reaching orbit from Andøya at 21:12 BST (20:12 UTC) on 5 September, and Jonathan McDowell's catalogue logs the same minute.

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