A test commercial rocket launched by German company HyImpulse from Koonibba in Australia has been recovered largely intact and is on its way back to Germany almost two weeks after launch, a company spokesman said on Monday.

The load carried by the rocket has also been recovered. The rocket will now undergo detailed examination at HyImpulse headquarters near Heilbronn.

The 12-metre SR75 rocket was launched at the start of the month, in the first commercial launch by a German company in decades.

The rocket is powered by paraffin and liquid oxygen and can carry a load of 250 kilograms, the company said.

It is capable of space flight, according to company chief executive Christian Schmierer.

The aim is provide customers with a flexible and environmentally friendly solution for small satellites.