German launch startup Isar Aerospace scrubbed a planned September 4 attempt to fly the second Spectrum rocket from Andøya Spaceport in Norway, calling off the mission just hours after launch-related road closures went into effect and keeping its 'Onward and Upward' campaign in limbo.
Andøya Road Closures Lifted, Rocket Stays Grounded
At 10:39 CEST on 4 September, Nordland Police announced that land and maritime restrictions around Andøya Spaceport had been activated for a 'planned rocket launch.' By 14:25 CEST the traffic ban was lifted, effectively confirming that Spectrum would not fly that day. Weather likely played a role, with observations from nearby Andøya Airport recording winds around 24 knots. Isar Aerospace itself has stayed uncharacteristically quiet, publishing no updates on the scrubbed attempt or the wider campaign.
Onward And Upward Is Spectrum's First Payload-Carrying Flight
The maritime notice from the Norwegian Coastal Administration keeps a launch window open from 4 through 10 September, with daily slots from 16:00 to 21:35 UTC. The 'Onward and Upward' mission is Spectrum's qualifying flight and the rocket's first with real payloads on board: five CubeSats plus a non-separable experiment selected by German space agency DLR through its Microlauncher competition, backed by ESA's Boost! programme.
Fifth Scrub Extends A Bruising Campaign
Sept 4 is now the fifth aborted attempt at Spectrum's second flight. Earlier tries were called off in January (pressurisation valve), March (weather and a range violation from an unauthorised boat), April (leak in a composite overwrapped pressure vessel) and June (off-nominal fluid-system behaviour). A successful mission would make Spectrum the first orbital-class rocket built by a German company and cement Andøya as one of Europe's short list of active orbital launch sites. It would also validate the Boost!-backed launcher stack behind ESA's €544M European Launcher Challenge awards and the Spectrum campaign's Nova Scotia and NATO expansion plans, and back up Isar's payload contract with Planet.
Reporting based on coverage from European Spaceflight, KeepTrack Space and NASASpaceFlight.