Europe’s commercial space mission delayed again
▼ Summary
– Isar Aerospace remains the leading European rocket startup but continues to face delays launching the second test flight of its Spectrum rocket.
– The latest delay occurred Monday due to “off nominal behavior” in the vehicle’s fluid systems, with teams analyzing data to find the root cause.
– The Spectrum rocket has missed four target launch dates in five months, including scrubs in January, March, and April due to various technical issues.
– Andøya Spaceport’s current launch window for Spectrum runs through June 21, but Isar has not yet set a new launch date.
– Launch availability at Andøya is complicated by its use as a military testing range, which took priority last month for missile tests.
Isar Aerospace remains the leading contender among Europe’s emerging rocket startups, but its path to a critical test flight for the Spectrum rocket keeps hitting snags.
The most recent setback occurred Monday, when Isar called off a launch after “detecting off nominal behavior in the vehicle’s fluid systems,” the company posted on social media. “The teams are analyzing the new data to isolate the root cause.”
The two-stage, 92-foot-tall (28-meter) Spectrum rocket was poised for liftoff from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway. This marked the fourth time in five months that Isar Aerospace, based near Munich, Germany, had targeted a launch date for the second test flight of its Spectrum launch vehicle.
Andøya Space, the site’s operator, noted on its website that the current launch window extends through June 21. Isar has not yet announced a new timeline for the second Spectrum test flight.
Gravity still winning
The Spectrum rocket has missed three launch windows so far this year. Isar aborted a January 21 attempt due to a pressurization valve issue. On March 25, engineers halted the countdown just before liftoff after detecting rising temperatures in the rocket’s liquid propane fuel. Isar officials linked that problem to a delay caused by an unauthorized boat in restricted waters along the flight path.
Managers scrapped an April 9 attempt to evaluate a suspected leak in a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. That led to Monday’s latest try.
“Scrubs are part of the business,” Isar founder and CEO Daniel Metzler said in April. “Each attempt gives us valuable experience and lessons learned.”
That sentiment will resonate with anyone who follows rocket launches casually. But launch availability is becoming a real challenge at Andøya Spaceport. The remote site frequently serves as a military testing range. Last month, missile testing took priority at the Arctic Circle base, according to local media.
(Source: Ars Technica)
