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.

Germany-based Isar Aerospace attempted to launch the first orbital rocket from European soil on Sunday morning (March 30). The company's Spectrum rocket lifted off from Europe's Andøya Spaceport in Norway, but suffered an anomaly 18 seconds into the flight.

A European rocket plummeted back to Earth just seconds into its flight, after smoke began billowing from its sides. Footage shows the Spectrum rocket, developed by German start-up Isar Aerospace, being launched from the island of Andøya in northern Norway.