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September 5, 2026

German spacetech Isar Aerospace’s second rocket launch reaches orbit in milestone

The rocket reached orbit in a big step for the Munich-based company after multiple scrubs this year

Anne Sraders

4 min read

A rocket developed by German spacetech Isar Aerospace reached orbit in a second test flight from its launchpad in Norway, roughly a year and a half after its first crashed less than 30 seconds after launch. It marked the first time a privately-developed rocket has reached orbit from European soil, the company said. 

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A screenshot of Isar Aerospace's rocket from the company's livestream
A screenshot of Isar Aerospace's rocket from the company's livestream.
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Anne Sraders

Anne Sraders is a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covers the VC industry and deeptech startups. She also writes Sifted's weekly VC newsletter Up Round. Follow her on X and LinkedIn

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