, Columnist
A German Rocket Maker Is Taking Aim at Musk's SpaceX
Isar’s Spectrum rocket flew for around 30 seconds before crashing into the sea on its first attempt at the Andøya Spaceport in Norway in March. It’s hoping for better luck in 2026.
Source: Isar Aerospace, DWise, NASAspaceflight.comAfter being left in the dust by Elon Musk’s low-cost, reusable rockets, Europe’s humbled space industry enters 2026 with a new determination to catch up with SpaceX. The brightening mood is partly thanks to startups like Isar Aerospace, whose bustling factory in Germany’s “Space Valley” near Munich I visited in December.
Creating a commercial launch firm to rival the cashed up, vertically integrated SpaceX remains a herculean task. Founded almost a quarter century ago, Musk’s space firm is poised for a blockbuster initial public offering.