The first flight of Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket didn't last long on Sunday. The booster's nine engines switched off as the rocket cartwheeled upside-down and fell a short distance from its Arctic launch pad in Norway, punctuating the abbreviated test flight with a spectacular fiery crash into the sea.

The Spectrum rocket is designed to capture a portion of the burgeoning small to medium satellite launch market and give the EU and its European allies a reliable launch vehicle for near-Earth-orbit payloads that is operationally and oversight-distinct from the USA and SpaceX.

Europe took a significant step in its aerospace ambitions with the first test launch of German start-up Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket. View on euronews