1 year ago
Europe Aims to Compete in Space Race with New Launch Sites
Europe is working hard to catch up in the space race!
They're building places in Sweden and Norway to launch rockets and satellites.
For a long time, they've used the U.S. for help with space, but now they want to do it themselves.
This is because the space business is getting bigger, and they want to be part of it.
They're hoping to launch satellites that will help with things like mobile phones.
Scientists are also doing tests to study the Earth.
The new spaceports have big landing zones to safely recover rockets.
Europe aims to compete in the global space race with new launch sites in Sweden and Norway.
The Esrange Space Center in Sweden is a key site, leveraging its northern location for satellite communication.
Europe previously relied on the U.S. for space launches, but now seeks independence.
Private companies are also involved, recognizing the growing commercial market in space.
The goal is to develop independent capabilities for defense and technology, including launching satellites.
- Who
- Europe, including Sweden and Norway, along with private companies and global players like the U.S., China, and India.
- What
- Building spaceports and orbital rocket programs to compete in the global space race and launch satellites.
- Where
- Primarily in Sweden (Esrange Space Center) and Norway (Andøya Spaceport), with existing launches from French Guiana.
- When
- Efforts have been ongoing for decades, with increased focus in recent years. Isar Aerospace conducted a test launch in March.
- Why
- To reduce reliance on the U.S., capitalize on a growing commercial market, and establish independent space capabilities for defense and technology.
Key facts
- Location of Esrange Space Center
- Kiruna, Sweden
- Primary launch location
- French Guiana
- Esrange Area
- 6 square kilometers
- Esrange Rocket Landing Zone
- 5,200 square kilometers
- Successful launch attempt
- Andøya Spaceport, Norway (Isar Aerospace)
Quotes
Hermann Ludwig Moeller
Director of the European Space Policy Institute
“And saying that it would double doesn’t mean that it would catch up by the same factor, because you can expect that other regions will also continue to step up.”
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“I would argue that Europe, to be anywhere relevant in the next five to 10 years, needs to at least double its investment in space.”
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Ulrika Unell
President of Esrange's orbital launch and rocket test division
“I would ask them to think about, when they go around with their mobiles and they use all this data every day: Where does it come from?”
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“How is it gathered?”
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Mattias Abrahamsson
Business development director for the science division at Esrange
“The rocket motor will just fall freely into the ground, which means that you need to see to it that no people are in the area.”
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“We have to see to it that it's not more dangerous to be in that area, if you want to pick berries or hunt or fish or anything like that, than if you're in a street in New York or in Stockholm or anywhere.”
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance
U.S. Vice President
“step up in a big way”
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