A test rocket aimed at kick-starting satellite launches from Europe fell to the ground and exploded 40 seconds after its launch from a Norwegian space port.

A rocket launched by a German company fell to the ground and exploded just 40 seconds after takeoff. The unmanned Spectrum rocket was billed as the first attempt at an orbital flight to originate from Europe.

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.”