GERMAN COMPANY SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES SATELLITES INTO ORBIT

BERLIN, SEPTEMBER 6 /SRNA/ — German company Isar Aerospace has become the first commercial space company from Europe to successfully launch satellites into orbit, the company stated.

The 28-metre Spectrum rocket was launched last night from the Andoya Spaceport in Norway and crossed the so-called Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space, at an altitude of about 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface, the company said in a statement.

The rocket carried five scientific satellites belonging to several universities, as well as equipment for experiments, DPA reported.

Daniel Metzler, CEO and co-founder of Isar Aerospace, described the launch as a new chapter for European spaceflight.

"In just a few years, we have achieved what previously took the European space industry decades. Europe now has sovereign access to space," Metzler said.

He added that Isar Aerospace would now focus on rapidly scaling up launch-vehicle production, fulfilling orders and meeting growing global demand.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz congratulated the company on the successful launch, saying in a post on X that it marked the beginning of a new era.

European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher described the launch as historic.

The Bavaria-based company plans to conduct additional launches this year, while construction of its third Spectrum rocket is already well underway.

The company plans to produce 40 rockets annually.