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 excluding Russia, 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 entities in the United States and China. And the company framed Sunday’s launch as a step toward that goal, saying in a statement: “Isar Aerospace met its set goals: After ignition of its first stage, Spectrum successfully lifted off … for its first test flight lasting approximately 30 seconds. This…
