European commercial rocket reaches orbit from Norway

German company Isar Aerospace placed satellites into orbit from Norway's Andøya Spaceport on the second flight of its Spectrum rocket. The September 5 mission, named Onward and Upward, crossed the Kármán line, completed stage separation and second-stage ignition, and deployed its payloads after reaching orbit. NATO Allied Air Command described the flight as the first successful orbital satellite delivery by a European commercial space company. It was a civilian mission rather than a NATO launch, but the alliance highlighted how diverse commercial providers and launch sites improve access to communications, navigation, surveillance, and other space-enabled services.