Bavarian space company Isar Aerospace cancelled its latest test flight attempt of the Spectrum carrier rocket from Norway's Andøya spaceport on Thursday, suspecting a leak in a pressure container. This follows an abort on March 25 due to a safety issue. CEO Daniel Metzler promised another attempt soon.
About one hour before the scheduled liftoff, Isar Aerospace announced the cancellation of the 28-meter-long Spectrum rocket's test flight, part of the 'Onward and Upward' mission carrying five research satellites. The microlauncher is designed for payloads up to one tonne.
This marks the latest setback after the end-of-March abort—halted seconds before ignition due to a boat in the safety zone—and the first test a year ago, which crashed into the sea shortly after liftoff.
"It is beyond question that we will reach Earth orbit and prove reliable access to space," CEO Daniel Metzler stated. "Launch aborts are part of the rocket industry; every successful space company has experienced this. Every attempt provides valuable experiences. We will soon be launch-ready again."
