CNN
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A German start-up’s orbital rocket spun out and crashed seconds after take-off Sunday, in a rare European test flight that the makers said “met its set goals.”
The flight, from a spaceport in northern Norway, marked the first time a rocket capable of reaching orbit was launched from continental Europe, manufacturer Isar Aerospace said.
The rocket, called Spectrum, was airborne for only around half a minute before dramatically falling into the chilly Norwegian Sea.
Isar Aerospace and other European start-ups are scrambling to seize a segment of a rapidly expanding space race, currently dominated by companies and government-owned…
