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Isar Aerospace Spectrum: Third Launch Window Opens Nov. 26

A Norwegian aviation notice opens a launch window for Spectrum's third flight from Andøya, running from 26 November 2026 to 17 February 2027.

Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket standing on its launch pad at Andøya spaceport in northern Norway.
Image: Numerama
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Isar Aerospace could launch the third flight of its Spectrum rocket as early as 26 November 2026. A notice published on 28 October by Avinor, Norway's air navigation service provider, opens a launch window from Andøya that stays available until 17 February 2027.

Such notices warn pilots about areas to avoid during a launch, which makes them a reliable sign that a liftoff is approaching. Andøya, in northern Norway, hosts the launch pad of the German startup. According to the notice, the window opens every evening between 21:00 and 22:30 Paris time. The company itself has not commented on its short-term schedule.

From failure to a European first

The first Spectrum flight, in March 2025, ended less than a minute after liftoff, when the rocket fell into the Norwegian Sea within sight of the pad. On 5 September, the second attempt placed satellites in orbit, the first time a private European company has reached orbit from European soil.

That leaves Spectrum with one success in two flights, and its reliability still has to be proven. CEO Daniel Metzler said after the second launch that the third rocket was in final assembly, followed by acceptance tests and transport to Norway, which fits the timing of the notice.

A small launcher with big ambitions

Spectrum stands 28 metres tall and is designed to carry up to one tonne to low Earth orbit, so it targets the small-satellite market. Isar Aerospace aims to eventually reach up to 40 launches a year, and rockets number 3 to 7 are already in production.

A quick third flight would show whether the startup can move from a one-off success to a regular launch cadence, which established players will be watching closely.

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Tags:isar aerospacespectrumandoyarocket launcheurope space

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