A startup, Evolution Space, succeeded in launching a sounding rocket into space from the Mojave Desert over the weekend.

British spaceports face competition from bases in Europe’s frozen north

While much attention has been focused on Virgin Orbit’s plan to launch from Spaceport Cornwall in England and the creation of launch facilities in Scotland, the development of new orbital spaceports in Scandinavia has largely flown under the radar. But, now one of those Nordic bases is ready for its closeup.

Part II of II

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

The first half of 2022 was a busy period in suborbital space with 23 launches conducted that did not involve tests of ballistic missiles or defensive systems. Twelve people flew above the Karman line, new boosters and space technologies were tested, and the first commercial suborbital launch was conducted from Australia. And some science was done.

We covered the above mentioned flights in depth in a story published on Tuesday. In this piece we’ll look a broader look at who launched what, when, where, why and on what.

SOLNA, Sweden (SSC PR) — In the past few years, Swedish Space Corporation has made some quick developments within its ground segment activities. To celebrate SSC’s recent upgrades, the company now gather its capabilities and related services under one branded roof: SSC CONNECT^®. The name reflects, among other things, the company’s strengthened capabilities such as the launch of the market’s first global Ka-band network for EO missions, multiple investments and upgrades of its ground stations and antenna capabilities, as well as the company’s leading position in Lunar connectivity.

KIRUNA, Sweden (Swedish Space Corporation PR) — Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden has resumed its rocket activities after the fire that damaged the launch site in late August. Today, only three months after the incident, a sounding rocket was once again launched from the base. Sounding rocket Mapheus-10, owned by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), was successfully launched from the restored launch infrastructure at approximately 09.30 am on Monday, […]

VERNON, France (ESA PR) — Recently completed tests of two propellant tanks set a first technological milestone in the ESA reusability roadmap towards the demonstration of a reusable first stage vehicle called Themis.

STOCKHOLM, November 23, 2021 (Swedish Government PR) — Today, the Space Act Inquiry has submitted its report A new space law to Matilda Ernkrans, Minister with responsibility for space issues. The inquiry proposes a new space law that takes into account international regulations, promotes Swedish space operations and ensures national security needs.

(Swedish Space Corporation PR) — The construction of the new spaceport at Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden is reaching new milestones – heading towards satellite launch capability by 2022. The orbital launch complex is currently being finalized with integration halls for rockets and satellites, expansion of planned fuel plants, launch pads and surrounding technical ground systems, and more. “With more than 50 years of experience from launching rockets and […]

DUBAI, UAE (SSC PR) — Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and Bradford Space / ECAPS, a leading manufacturer of non-toxic propulsion systems, have signed an MoU for the collaborative offering of orbital debris removal services. Starting in 2024, SSC and Bradford Space will offer orbital debris removal as a commercial service from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden, mainland Europe. The agreement was signed today at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) 2021 in Dubai.

The new services will address the issue of common orbits becoming increasingly congested as more actors are accessing space, creating a hazard to other spacecraft using these orbits. A Bradford Space satellite bus, named ‘Square Rocket’, with significant delta-V capability will be inserted into orbit via launch from the Esrange Space Center to then rendezvous with and deorbit the debris. The target orbits are high-inclination polar, including the common Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).

SOLNA, Sweden (SSC PR) — Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) have signed a EUR 12 million [US $13.9 million] loan agreement for the finalization of a new spaceport at Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, northern Sweden. The 12-year maturity loan will finance the investments to unlock the use of reusable rockets and the ability to launch small satellites into orbit as early as 2022, making Esrange the first major orbital launch site in the EU.