First European Orbital Rocket Crashes Seconds After Launch

The first attempt to launch an orbital rocket from European soil failed as the spacecraft fell back to Earth and exploded seconds after liftoff.

The incident occurred at the Andøya Spaceport in Norway, marking a significant setback for European space ambitions.

The rocket, developed by German startup RFA (Rocket Factory Augsburg), was expected to reach orbit and demonstrate Europe’s growing capabilities in independent satellite deployment. However, moments after ignition, the vehicle encountered an anomaly, lost altitude, and crashed, resulting in a fiery explosion.

Eyewitnesses at the launch site reported a brief ascent before the rocket veered off course and plummeted back to the ground. Engineers and mission control teams are currently investigating the cause of the failure.

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RFA officials expressed disappointment over the outcome but remained committed to their mission. “This is an unfortunate setback, but failures are a part of progress in spaceflight. We will analyze the data and come back stronger,” a spokesperson for the company said.

This launch was seen as a milestone for Europe’s efforts to establish its own commercial launch capabilities, reducing reliance on external providers. The failure raises questions about the future of European private spaceflight, though experts suggest such mishaps are common in the early stages of rocket development.

Authorities and aerospace analysts will now conduct a thorough review of the incident to determine what went wrong and how to prevent similar failures in future attempts.