German space firm aborts rocket test flight over leak

A launch attempt of the Spectrum rocket developed by German start-up Isar Aerospace was aborted on Thursday evening at Norway's Andøya Spaceport due to a suspected leak.

The company said about an hour before lift-off it had called off the launch to investigate a pressure vessel issue, adding that teams would assess the situation and decide on next steps.

It marked another setback after a first test flight last year ended in an explosion roughly 30 seconds after lift-off, with the rocket crashing into the sea.

The current mission was set to carry five research satellites and a scientific experiment into orbit.

Isar Aerospace aims to bring Spectrum to commercial readiness faster than US rival SpaceX, which required four attempts.

However, recent launch efforts had been delayed multiple times due to technical issues and more recently because a Norwegian fisherman failed to leave the safety zone in time.

Capable of carrying up to one ton, Spectrum is seen as a key project for Europe's space industry, which is seeking to reduce reliance on SpaceX for satellite launches. Once operational, it is intended to place civilian and military satellites into low Earth orbit, a few hundred kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Chief executive Daniel Metzler said the company is already booked through 2028, even though the rocket is not yet ready for serial production.

"There is no question that we will reach orbit and demonstrate reliable access to space. Scrubs are part of rocket industry; every successful rocket company has been here. Each attempt gives us valuable experience and lessons learned on our path to orbit," he said.