London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Europe's First Satellite Launch Complex Opens in Arctic Sweden

Europe's First Satellite Launch Complex Opens in Arctic Sweden

Europe's first orbital launch complex for satellites officially opened in Kiruna, Northern Sweden today – with the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen present. For Europe, the new launch complex will be a long-awaited resource.

Mainland Europe's first satellite launch complex officially opened today at Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Northern Sweden.

The opening takes place in conjunction with Sweden taking over the presidency of the Council of the EU. The King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf, the EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (the Moderate Party) were present.

Kiruna is perhaps best known for its mining industry. However, the space industry also plays an important role. Sweden's only space base is located just outside the center of Kiruna and is one of two European space bases.

"This is a great moment for Europe and the European space industry. This space range is just the infrastructure we need," said EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, during the opening ceremony. She highlighted the importance of satellites when it comes to security, the green shift, climate change, and natural disasters, i.a.

"If we want to effectively track the effects of climate change, space offers 60 percent of the measurements we need. The space perspective provides us with the majority of the data we need to understand what is going on," she adds. 


An important resource for Europe

The new space range Spaceport Esrange describes itself as Europe's polar gateway to space. The facility has been under preparation for many years but has now received increased capabilities.

Today, only ten countries in the world have the capacity of launching orbital satellites. The Esrange facility in Kiruna is the first space base opened in mainland Europe seeing as the other European space base is located in French Guiana.

For Europe, the new orbital launch complex at Esrange will be a long-awaited critical resource. Spaceport Esrange will offer an independent European gateway to space, which supplies and strengthens the current European's capacities in French Guiana in South America, writes the state-owned company, Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), which owns and operates Esrange, in a press release.

"This new launch complex will contribute to creating a foundation for a resilient Europe in space," says Stefan Gardefjord, CEO of SSC.

According to the company, SSC SmallSat Express will be the new European launch complex for small satellites and offer a state-of-the-art service at Esrange Space Center, with complete launch capacity for standardized polar orbits from 2023.

SSC emphasizes that more satellites will be necessary in the future. Around 10 000 new satellites are expected launched in the coming years and by 2040, the total number of satellites may reach 100 000 – compared to the 5000 operative satellites in orbit today.

Andøya Space in Norway may also be the first in Europe.


In competition with Norway

Although Spaceport Esrange is now open, a race to become the first country to launch satellites in Europe is currently taking place.

Andøya Space in Northern Norway is also building a space port for the launch of small satellites.

"The Swedes are definitely part of the race and may be the first, but we also have Andøya Space in Norway," says NRK journalist Hhallvard Sandberg.

Sanberg highlights that Esrange in Kiruna is the first space range to officially open. That has not happened at Andøya. There they will take over the launch platform in the spring and they are hoping to be ready to operate within the year and that the first satellite rocket will be launched from Andøya during the year.

The first satellite launch from Spaceport Esrange in Sweden is expected to take place late in 2023.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×