Europe's 1st orbital rocket dramatically explodes in under 40 seconds after liftoff – watch video

Europe’s first orbital rocket launch ends in dramatic failure. (Image: @spacecoastwest/X)

Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket malfunctioned soon after takeoff, making a thrilling event a disappointing one. The launch site was Norway's Andøya Spaceport on March 30, 2025. The rocket launched at 12:30 PM CEST with aspirations to be Europe's first orbital launch vehicle, but it only remained in orbit for 18 seconds.

The rocket was seen spinning prior to crashing and exploding in dramatic footage. Reports said the malfunction was due to a vector control system failure. The loss of engine power compelled mission controllers to terminate flight.

Video of Isar Aerospace Spectrum hitting the ground.Video from @vgnett pic.twitter.com/lnCe90a17l
VSB - Space Coast West (@spacecoastwest) March 30, 2025

Mission Continued to Provide Insights

Because this was a test flight, luckily, the rocket was not carrying payloads. Isar Aerospace hoped to utilize the launch to obtain valuable performance information. CEO Daniel Metzler remained optimistic despite the failure. He stated that the Flight Termination System was one of the critical systems that the mission still validated.

As much as 1,000 kilos can be transported to low Earth orbit by the Spectrum rocket. Isar Aerospace has agreements with the Norwegian Space Agency, even though this failure is troubling. More satellite launches are scheduled before 2028.