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 test rocket aimed at kickstarting satellite launches from Europe fell into the water and exploded 40 seconds after takeoff from a Norwegian space port on Sunday (March 30), in what German startup Isar Aerospace had described as an initial test. Dazzling spiral swirls in the sky following SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch

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

The rocket, developed by Isar Aerospace, lifted off from Norway’s Andøya Space Center and crashed about 30 seconds later. The test flight was part of efforts to make Europe a center for private satellite launches.

The European Space Agency has kicked off a competition to support the development of new launch vehicles and boost Europe's access to space.

The first orbital rocket launch from European soil ended in an explosion when Isar Aerospace's rocket fell to Earth seconds after launching on March 30.