Why this "failed" rocket launch is actually a big win for Europe
In case you missed it: Spectrum launched. Funding rounds and contracts: Europe is booming!
Welcome to Aerospace Insider 🚀
In this week’s issue, we’re diving into the latest and greatest from Europe’s booming space sector. Big things are happening!
Today’s summary:
🚀 Aerospace News: Isar Aerospace launched Spectrum!
💼 Top Space Jobs: Europe is hiring big time.
🔍 Deep Dive: Did I say that Isar Aerospace launched Spectrum!?
Aerospace Weekly Roundup
Catch the latest European & global space industry highlights you can't afford to miss!
🚀 Isar Aerospace launches Spectrum for the first time
The first launch of Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket failed 40 seconds after liftoff. The rocket's vector control system malfunctioned, leading to engine shutdown and the rocket's fall (and explosion). Despite the failure, the company considers the launch a valuable learning experience and plans to return to the launch pad soon. They are already working on the next rockets and expanding its production facilities.
🛰️ Sateliot raises €70M for 5G IoT constellation
Sateliot has secured €70M in Series B funding to speed up the deployment of its 100 nanosatellite constellation for 5G IoT services. Sateliot aims to provide IoT connectivity for various industries and has already launched six satellites; and has plans to activate commercial services later this year. The company has secured €270M in contracts and says is on track for €1B in revenue by 2030.
🚀 Rocket Lab and Stoke Space join US Space Force launch competition
Rocket Lab and Stoke Space have been selected to compete for national security launch contracts in the US Space Force's NSSL Phase 3 program. They join SpaceX and ULA, with an estimated $5.6B in missions expected through 2029. This expansion aims to increase launch capacity and innovation, by not relying on the same players. Rocket Lab is developing Neutron, a partially reusable rocket, while Stoke Space is working on the fully reusable Nova vehicle.
💵 Airbus wins £150M contract for ExoMars lander
Airbus has been awarded a £150M contract to build the landing platform for Europe's Rosalind Franklin Mars rover. The platform will handle the rover's final descent and landing on Mars, featuring a propulsion system and deployable ramps for safe extraction. The rover, set to launch in 2028 and land in 2030, will search for signs of past life on Mars.
🛰️ Geopolitical shifts increase interest on Telesat's Lightspeed
Telesat's LEO constellation, Lightspeed, is gaining traction due to rising global defense priorities and demand for sovereign communications. The Canadian government's support and strategic needs are driving interest. Despite competition from Starlink, Telesat says it has a growing revenue backlog. However, its traditional GEO business faces declines due to market changes. Telesat is investing heavily in Lightspeed, and is being supported by significant government funding.
🚀 Cygnus mission to ISS canceled due to damage
NASA and Northrop Grumman have canceled the planned June launch of the Cygnus NG-22 cargo mission to the ISS after discovering damage to the spacecraft's Pressurised Cargo Module. The damage occurred during transit 🤦♂️ and the next Cygnus mission, NG-23, is now planned for fall 2025. NASA is adjusting cargo manifests to ensure the ISS receives necessary supplies, with some science investigations being replaced by crew supplies on the upcoming SpX-32 Dragon mission.
🔍 What caught your eye this week? I cover the biggest stories, but there’s always more happening. Reply and let me know what space news you found most interesting or what I should cover next!
Space Jobs Spotlight 🔍
Curated roles to accelerate your career in Europe’s thriving space sector.
🚀 Internships
Business Development Intern — Revolv Space
💼 Space Jobs
Customer Excellence Specialist — ICEYE
Remote Sensing Business Developer — Aistech Space
Mechanical Design Engineer — Pangea Aerospace
Launcher Dynamics Modelling — MaiaSpace
Project Leader — Indra Space
Avionics Engineer — Isar Aerospace
Satellite Operations Engineer — Exotrail
Project Manager — Leaf Space
Product Manager — Sateliot
Senior GNC Engineer — Isar Aerospace
Satellite Integration Lead — ICEYE
🎓 PhD Opportunities
No opportunities this week. Get in touch if you want me to share some next time.
💡 Looking for a new job? I do more than just share listings. I can help you stand out. If you want a fresh set of eyes on your resume: click here.
Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum launch: a milestone and a wake up call for Europe
There’s something undeniably exciting about watching a rocket take flight. Especially for the first time. Isar Aerospace’s maiden launch of the Spectrum rocket was no exception. The views were incredible and, for a brief moment, Europe had a new contender in the private launch industry. Unfortunately, the mission didn’t make it to orbit. But was it a failure?
For a first launch, not necessarily, at least in my opinion. Failure is part of the process for a launch company; and collecting flight data while preserving the launchpad is already a win. The real disaster would have been an explosion at the pad... Of course, passing Max Q and testing stage separation would have been ideal, but for Europe’s first privately developed orbital rocket, this was still a valuable step forward.
And a very motivational and hopeful one to say the least. Not that we can compete with hope but it’s nonetheless a step.
The bigger picture: does Europe need more rockets?
Europe has long relied on government-led space initiatives with ESA and Arianespace at the peak. But the global launch market changed and now it’s private companies who lead the game. Isar Aerospace’s attempt marks the beginning of an era, where European startups will challenge established giants (but don’t worry Arianespace won’t go anywhere soon… for better or worse: that’s up to you).
However, this is just the start of a long and difficult journey. A very difficult one.
While Spectrum is a great first step, its small payload capacity (approximately 1000 kg to LEO) will limit its long-term competitiveness. This image puts things into perspective: Spectrum is about three times the size of Rocket Lab’s Electron but eight times smaller than Neutron. And in the grand scheme of things, even Neutron is small compared to Falcon 9 and of course Starship (everything is small compared to Starship — even New Glenn!).
The path ahead: scale
If European launch startups want to survive, they will need to scale up (ideally fast, but let’s see). Right now, the industry is moving toward larger, reusable rockets that can deliver more payload at lower costs. This is due to the rise of different megaconstellation projects. Rocket Lab is already working on Neutron, Relativity Space seems focussed on Terran R, Firefly has a larger rocket in development… and SpaceX continues to dominate with Falcon 9 and (eventually?) Starship.
Spectrum’s success, if achieved in future launches, will be an excellent proof of concept. It will for sure find a niche market, serving smaller payloads and dedicated missions (and perhaps even government customers). But to truly compete on a global scale, Isar Aerospace and other European startups will need to develop bigger, definitely reusable vehicles. If not, they can always survive on government subsidies… (ahem, Ariane… 😅)
Despite the failure to reach orbit, this launch shows progress. Europe needs private launch companies, and Spectrum’s launch signals the start of a very much-needed transformation. But if Europe wants to be a serious player in the commercial space race, this cannot be the final step. It’s just the beginning of a long road toward larger, more capable rockets that can compete globally.
For now, let’s celebrate the fact that a private company launched a privately developed rocket. But let’s also be realistic: the private space race is hard and only those who scale up will stay in the game.
Congrats to everyone at Isar Aerospace: it was a great launch to watch. I had not had the opportunity to watch a rocket fall back to the launch pad 😉
For more to come!
Thanks for reading Aerospace Insider.
If you found this newsletter useful, feel free to share it with someone who might enjoy it.
And if you have any feedback or suggestions, just reply—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
You can also connect with me on LinkedIn here.
See you next week.
Jaime