SEOPS buys Spectrum launch from Isar Aerospace

BREMEN, Germany — SEOPS, an American mission services provider, has purchased a Spectrum launch from Isar Aerospace to broaden launch options for its customers.

Isar and SEOPS announced Nov. 18 that SEOPS bought the launch of a Spectrum rocket from Andøya Spaceport in Norway in 2028. The companies did not disclose terms of the agreement.

SEOPS will use the launch for multiple payloads to low Earth orbit through its LaunchLock Prime service, which provides launch and satellite integration support for customers. Spectrum is the first European rocket secured for that program.

“This mission broadens the launch access available to our LaunchLock Prime customers,” Evan Hoyt, executive vice president at SEOPS, said in a statement. He noted that customer demand led SEOPS to secure the Spectrum launch, “giving our customers greater control and choice in how and where their missions reach orbit.”

SEOPS has primarily used rideshare capacity on Falcon 9 missions for its customers. A year ago, it announced it had acquired a dedicated Falcon 9 launch to geostationary transfer orbit, scheduled for 2028, citing strong commercial and government interest in GTO access.

SEOPS also announced last year a partnership with Axient Systems, a Dutch mission systems integrator, to provide a “one-stop shop” for European payloads. The Spectrum launch is included in that offering.

“With SEOPS’ proven integration expertise and Isar’s European launch capacity, we now have multiple options and expanded capacity to offer our international mission customers,” Jay Kovacs, managing director of Axient, said in a statement.

Isar Aerospace has completed one test flight of Spectrum, in March. The vehicle suffered a loss of attitude control that caused the flight to be terminated about half a minute after liftoff, with the vehicle crashing into waters near the launch pad.

The German company is preparing for a second Spectrum launch but has not announced a launch date. The company said Nov. 13 that the stages for that second launch had arrived at Andøya for preflight testing.

“The global demand for launch capacity from Europe continues to accelerate as nations and industries recognize the strategic importance of independent access to space,” Stella Guillen, chief commercial officer of Isar Aerospace, said in a statement.

Isar is also one of five “preselected challengers” for the European Launcher Challenge, a European Space Agency effort to support emerging launch companies with launch contracts or funding for upgraded vehicles. ESA member states will decide which companies will receive up to 169 million euros ($196 million) each at the agency’s ministerial conference next week.