German space startup Isar Aerospace is preparing to launch its Spectrum rocket on a second test flight after months of delays, aiming for a launch window that opens on Monday evening at Norway's Andøya Spaceport, the company said on Sunday.
The rocket is designed to carry satellites into low-Earth orbit. Isar Aerospace is trying to make Spectrum suitable for commercial spaceflight with fewer test flights than those required by Elon Musk's space company SpaceX, which conducted four test launches.
Spectrum's first test flight last year ended after about 30 seconds when the rocket crashed into the sea.
A second launch attempt, initially scheduled for January, was postponed because of a faulty valve.
A March launch was then scrubbed after a fishing vessel failed to leave the safety zone around the launch site in time, while a further attempt in April was delayed by a leaking pressure vessel.
The rocket is to carry five small satellites and a scientific experiment on the planned test flight.
European satellite operators currently rely heavily on SpaceX for launches because Europe lacks a comparable domestically produced rocket. Isar Aerospace aims to reduce this technological dependence on the United States and plans to produce up to 40 rockets per year.
