The unmanned Spectrum rocket, an orbital rocket developed by German start-up Isar Aerospace, crashed and exploded 40 seconds after takeoff.

The first orbital rocket launched from continental Europe crashed seconds after blast-off Sunday, dealing a blow to the continent's bid to build a new space economy.

German startup Isar Aerospace launched its Spectrum rocket from the Andøya spaceport on Sunday at 6:30 a.m. ET for its first test flight. The rocket successfully lifted off from its launchpad and spent around 30 seconds in the air before it started falling back down toward the Arctic Ocean, creating a massive fireball over the water.

The first orbital rocket launched from continental Europe crashed seconds after blast-off Sunday, in a closely watched test for the continent's bid to build a new space economy.

This is the moment a test rocket crashed back to Earth just moments after launching in Norway on Sunday (March 30). Footage shows the unmanned Spectrum rocket lifting off from a Norwegian spaceport before losing control 18 seconds into flight and crashing into the sea.

German space startup Isar Aerospace on Sunday conducted its first attempt to reach orbit with a test launch from Norway’s Andøya Spaceport. The Spectrum rocket lifted off successfully and remained in flight for approximately 30 seconds before the mission was intentionally ended.