Isar Aerospace cancelled another attempt to launch its second Spectrum rocket from Andøya Spaceport in Norway after detecting abnormal behavior in the vehicle's fluid systems. Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported that a leak had been found in a composite overwrapped pressure vessel, or COPV.
The decision came about an hour before the planned liftoff and represented the mission's third postponement. Weather, particularly winds at higher altitude, had been a concern ahead of the attempt, but the technical issue ultimately caused the stand-down. Isar said engineers were studying fresh data to isolate the root cause before returning the rocket to flight readiness.
Named Onward and Upward, the flight is Spectrum's second launch and a qualification mission for the vehicle. It carries five CubeSats and one experiment. The purpose is to test critical launcher systems under operational conditions as the German company works toward a commercial orbital service. The mission receives support through the European Space Agency's Boost! program.
One of the payloads is a Norwegian student satellite intended for a sun-synchronous orbit, making the timing of the launch window important. The presence of that payload and the launch from Andøya also gave the mission significance for Norway's developing space sector. Government and spaceport officials stressed that complex launch operations require safety to take priority over schedules.
Spectrum's first flight, launched in March 2025 with a different rocket, ended in the sea. The second vehicle's qualification campaign is therefore an important test for Isar as well as for European ambitions to build more autonomous access to orbit. Supporters of the project see commercial launch capacity as both an economic opportunity and a strategic capability.
Isar later listed a no-earlier-than June 15 target within an evening window, while making clear that the date remained dependent on safety, weather and range availability. That target was not a guarantee. Before a new attempt, the company needed to understand the fluid-system readings, address the reported leak and complete the checks required by the launch team and range authorities.
