The Daily Broadcast: Isar Scrubs Spectrum, Blue Origin Wins Mars Orbiter Deal

Isar Aerospace Scrubs Spectrum Launch in Norway

German launch provider Isar Aerospace appears to have scrubbed a planned September 4 attempt at the second flight of its Spectrum rocket, several hours after launch-related road closures went into effect around Norway’s Andøya Spaceport.

At 10:39 CEST on September 4, Nordland Police announced that land and maritime traffic restrictions around the spaceport had been activated in connection with what it described as a “planned rocket launch.” The land restriction, including road closures, was due to remain in force from midday until midnight. However, at 14:25 CEST, police issued a further update stating the traffic ban had been lifted. With the road closure lifted, no launch attempt was made.

Isar Aerospace has yet to publicly comment on the scrub or the attempt itself. The company has also not publicly acknowledged the broader approved launch window, which remains open until September 10. No official reason has been given, though weather may have played a role — conditions around Andøya were windy, with observations from nearby Andøya Airport recording winds of around 24 knots. Isar Aerospace has previously postponed Spectrum launch attempts due to unfavourable weather.

The Spectrum programme carries particular interest for Canada. Isar Aerospace has signed an agreement with Maritime Launch Services to develop a dedicated Spectrum launch site at Spaceport Nova Scotia, positioning the Canadian Atlantic coast as a future hub for the German rocket’s flights.

Blue Origin Lands NASA Mars Telecommunications Orbiter Contract

NASA officially confirmed on September 1 that it has selected Blue Origin to design and launch the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter by the end of 2028. The Mars Telecommunications Network contract aims to establish new communication capabilities to support missions on the surface of Mars.

Blue Origin’s winning proposal calls for delivering a Blue Ring spacecraft to Mars orbit, carrying a payload of large communication systems and potentially subspacecraft. Under the contract, the provider must also procure the launch service — the spacecraft will launch aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. The mission targets the 2028 Mars transfer window, with the spacecraft operating at Mars by 2030.

The spacecraft will be operated by Blue Origin but owned by NASA. Owing to its use of an existing design, assembly has already begun, with Blue Origin National Security Group President Tory Bruno confirming the fourth Blue Ring vehicle is being built to fulfill the contract.

ESA Preps FLEX and Sentinel-3C for September 15 Launch

ESA held a media briefing on September 4 ahead of the upcoming dual-satellite launch of the FLEX and Copernicus Sentinel-3C satellites, scheduled for September 15 at 03:21 CEST (September 14 at 22:21 local time) aboard a Vega-C rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

FLEX carries the Fluorescence Imaging Spectrometer, designed to detect the faint fluorescence plants emit as they absorb sunlight during photosynthesis. Though invisible to the human eye, this glow varies with plant health and environmental conditions. The satellite will orbit in tandem with a Sentinel-3 satellite, which provides information on clouds, aerosols, water vapour, land surface temperature, land cover and vegetation parameters. The integrated near-simultaneous measurements will deliver an unprecedented view of global vegetation function and status.

Sentinel-3C is the third satellite in the Copernicus Sentinel-3 series. Like its two predecessors in orbit, it carries instruments that measure Earth’s oceans, land, ice and atmosphere to monitor large-scale global dynamics, providing essential near-real-time information for ocean and weather forecasting.

The Vega-C rocket, an evolution of the Vega family, can launch up to 3300 kg into orbit and is designed for small scientific and Earth observation satellites.

Citations

“Isar Aerospace Calls Off 4 September Spectrum Launch Attempt” — https://europeanspaceflight.com/isar-aerospace-calls-off-4-september-spectrum-launch-attempt/
“Blue Origin Nets NASA Mars Orbiter Contract” — https://www.spacescout.info/2026/09/blue-origin-nets-nasa-mars-orbiter-contract/
“Media briefing ahead of FLEX and Sentinel-3C launch” — https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2026/09/Media_briefing_ahead_of_FLEX_and_Sentinel-3C_launch

Onward and Upward

Provider: Isar Aerospace
Date: September 5, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM UTC
Vehicle: Spectrum

Second test flight of the Isar Spectrum launch vehicle. This launch will carry 5 cubesats and 1 non-separable experiment as part of European Space Agency (ESA)’s “Boost!” program:

* CyBEEsat (TU Berlin)
* TriSat-S (University of Maribor)
* Platform 6 (EnduroSat)
* FramSat-1 (NTNU)
* SpaceTeamSat1 (TU Wien Space Team)
* Let It Go (Dcubed, non-separable experiment)

Starlink Group 15-24

Provider: SpaceX
Date: September 6, 2026
Time: 10:59 AM UTC
Vehicle: Falcon 9

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

Long March 2D/YZ-3 | Source: Launch Library

Unknown Payload

Provider: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Date: September 9, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM UTC
Vehicle: Long March 2D/YZ-3

Details TBD.

Progress MS-35 (96P)

Provider: Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS)
Date: September 9, 2026
Time: 4:15 PM UTC
Vehicle: Soyuz 2.1b

Progress resupply mission to the International Space Station.

USSF-153

Provider: SpaceX
Date: September 10, 2026
Time: 3:37 PM UTC
Vehicle: Falcon 9

USSF-153 is a classified mission for the United States Space Force. It is possibly a batch of classified LEO satellites for a US government entity based on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite bus, based on locations of rocket stage drop zones being exact fits with previous Starlink Group 15 launches.