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• Jeff Foust
German startup Isar Aerospace reached orbit on Spectrum’s second flight from Andøya, Norway, deploying satellites and becoming the first commercial European company to complete an orbital launch. The milestone strengthens Europe’s emerging commercial launch sector as the region seeks to reduce reliance on U.S. space industry.
Commercial Space
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Stoke Space and Relativity Space are moving launch infrastructure at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 14 and Launch Complex 16 toward their first flights. The progress marks a key step in bringing both companies’ launch sites closer to operational readiness and expanding commercial launch capacity from Florida’s Space Coast.
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German startup Isar Aerospace reached orbit on Spectrum’s second flight from Andøya, Norway, deploying satellites and becoming the first commercial European company to complete an orbital launch. The milestone strengthens Europe’s emerging commercial launch sector as the region seeks to reduce reliance on U.S. space industry.
High activity
The German startup’s Spectrum rocket successfully reached orbit after lifting off from Andøya Spaceport in Arctic Norway. The milestone marks the first orbital launch from European soil and brings Europe closer to offering satellite customers access to space from within the continent.
Katalyst Space is wrapping up operations on a spacecraft intended to reboost NASA’s Swift observatory. Although the mission did not achieve its original objective, the vehicle became a technology demonstration for satellite servicing, offering an operational data point for emerging commercial in-space support capabilities.
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German launch provider Isar Aerospace successfully sent its Spectrum small-satellite rocket into orbit on Sept. 5, following months of delays and aborted attempts. The mission marks the first time a privately developed rocket has reached orbit from European soil, strengthening Europe’s emerging commercial launch sector.
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Blue Origin is broadening its Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral footprint with a new Merritt Island test site, Rocket Park production buildings, the rebuild of Launch Complex 36 and early work on nearby processing facilities, reinforcing its long-term launch and manufacturing presence in Florida.
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France is minimizing the significance of SpaceX and Blue Origin skipping next week’s Paris space summit, an event organized by President Emmanuel Macron. The gathering faces broader headwinds as Europe seeks to strengthen its space position amid intense competition from U.S. commercial providers.
ST Engineering iDirect demonstrated a pilot version of its INT3000 user equipment modem at the European Space Agency’s 5G NTN Forum. The multi-waveform 5G New Radio Non-Terrestrial Network device is intended to extend iDirect’s satellite networking technology into the broader 5G ecosystem, including aircraft connectivity applications.
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