Exolaunch to deploy five satellites on Spectrum mission from Norway

Written by Copernical Team Wednesday, 18 February 2026 11:37

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Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 18, 2026

Exolaunch has completed integration of five customer satellites for launch on Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket, scheduled no earlier than March 19, 2026 from Andoya spaceport in Norway. The mission, branded 'Onward and Upward,' represents the second flight of Spectrum and a key step toward strengthening German and European sovereign access to orbit. The Berlin-based company is providing la

by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Feb 18, 2026

Exolaunch has completed integration of five customer satellites for launch on Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket, scheduled no earlier than March 19, 2026 from Andoya spaceport in Norway. The mission, branded "Onward and Upward," represents the second flight of Spectrum and a key step toward strengthening German and European sovereign access to orbit.

The Berlin-based company is providing launch mission management, environmental testing, satellite integration, global shipping, and deployment services for the flight. Exolaunch will use its flight-proven EXOpod Nova deployment system to deliver the payloads to orbit.

The manifest includes CyBEEsat for Technische Universitat Berlin in Germany, TRISAT-S for the University of Maribor in Slovenia, STS1 for Technische Universitat Wien in Austria, Platform 6 6UXL for Endurosat in Bulgaria, and FramSat1 for the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Norway. These satellites reflect a broad cross-section of European academic and commercial space activity.

All five spacecraft were integrated at Exolaunch's headquarters in Berlin in cooperation with the satellite development teams and Isar Aerospace's mission management staff. Following integration, the loaded EXOpod Nova deployer was transported to Andoya spaceport for final mechanical and electrical integration with the Spectrum launch vehicle.

The Onward and Upward mission is supported by the European Space Agency's Boost! programme. Under Boost!, Isar Aerospace won the first Microlauncher Competition organized by the DLR German Space Agency, which led to the selection of the payloads manifested on this flight.

"European access to space is experiencing a resurgence in sovereign launch capability and Isar Aerospace's performance under the ESA's Boost! programme is one of several upcoming demonstrations of the growing momentum behind European launch vehicles," said Dr. Robert Sproles, Chief Executive Officer at Exolaunch. "Exolaunch is proud to have supported the winners of the DLR Microlauncher competition, and we wish Isar and the satellite teams every success with the upcoming launch."

The second Spectrum launch comes roughly twelve months after the vehicle's maiden flight, which underscored Isar Aerospace's achievement in designing, building, and launching a rocket from continental Europe. The upcoming mission aims to further validate Spectrum's critical systems under operational conditions.

"This mission has been a remarkable journey pushing the boundaries of European launch innovation. It was a great pleasure to navigate the complexities of this first-of-its-kind mission together with their dedicated team," said Nadine Weidner, Senior Mission Manager, European Launch Lead at Exolaunch. "We are looking forward to seeing Spectrum go onward and upward and to many more missions that await ahead."

Exolaunch, founded over a decade ago as a spin-off from the Technical University of Berlin, has grown into a major launch infrastructure provider. With this mission, the company helps return a TU Berlin satellite to orbit while also supporting other European payloads, reinforcing collaboration across the region's space ecosystem.

By delivering satellite integration and deployment capabilities for this historic Spectrum mission, Exolaunch has now qualified to launch aboard the vehicle. The company extends its experience in payload qualification and rapid integration while building on a heritage that includes 675 satellites launched across 42 missions to date.