Isar Aerospace opens second test site at Esrange Space Center

Isar Aerospace, a German rocket manufacturer aiming to launch its Spectrum rocket soon from Andøya Space Center in Norway, has just announced a contract with the Swedish Esrange Space Center to build a second test site for the rocket engines.

The new facility will enable testing of more than 30 engines per month, along with expanded capabilities for integrated stage testing. Isar Aerospace already operates a test site at Esrange.

As the company prepares to open a new production facility near Munich soon, it needs a second engine testing site to support plans for increasing launch cadence. While Spectrum has not yet achieved a successful orbital launch, Isar targets up to 40 launches per year in the near future.

Engines – and possibly whole rocket stages – tested at Esrange near Kiruna can be easily transported to Andøya, just about 500 km away.