By Marius Fagerli
Contributors: Simon Flack, Jan Fredrik Korpe and AI
Andøya Spaceport - A New Chapter in European Space Exploration
With a legacy spanning 60 years, Norway’s space industry stands at the forefront of innovation. Situated in the Northern part of Norway, the Andøya Spaceport in Nordland County, offers unique access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits, making it a prime location for satellite launches. The spaceport is supported by a well-established national and regional space value chains, along with a network of research and educational institutions. This ecosystem is supported by local, regional, and national financing and policies, ensuring a robust framework for space activities.
About Andøya
Nordland county in Northern Norway is known for its stunning fjords and mountains. It borders Troms to the north, Trøndelag to the south, and Sweden to the east, with the Norwegian Sea to the west. Bodø, the county’s administrative center, is situated just north of the Arctic Circle. Andøya, part of the Vesterålen archipelago, is the northernmost island in Nordland and is home to the Andøya Spaceport. This region is characterized by both its beauty and strategic importance for both maritime and space industries. On November 2nd, Europe’s first operational launch port for satellites was officially inaugurated at Andøya, marking Norway’s entry into the commercial space age. The Andøya Spaceport, located in Nordmela, Andøy municipality, is now ready to facilitate satellite launches, offering a direct route into polar orbits1.
Accessibility is a key advantage of the Andøya Spaceport, with excellent connections by land (road connections to mainland Norway), sea (deep sea port), and air (NATO Airbase). The planned new essential infrastructure will further enhance the spaceport’s capabilities, described in the new local Masterplan for Space which is supported by the Nordland County, and outlines the political framework and guidelines for the next ten years, signifying a strategic vision for Norway’s role in the space industry.
Andøya’s Capabilities
The spaceport, constructed in under 18 months, includes an integration hall, control rooms, and a launch platform tailored to the needs of its first customer, Isar Aerospace. The site is deemed ideal for polar orbit launches due to its low air and sea traffic, absence of civilian overflights, and straightforward logistics supported by nearby infrastructure. Andøya Spaceport will during 2024 witness the historic launch of an Isar Aerospace rocket from pad A, marking the first-ever orbital launch from European soil. The spaceport boasts a comprehensive infrastructure that includes a launch pad (pad A), an assembly, integration, and testing hall (AIT building), a telemetry area, and temporary control room facilities. Future construction phases are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2024, with plans for a “Space Village” and a total of three launch pads. These expansions aim to accommodate up to 30 launches per year, significantly increasing the spaceport’s operational capacity.
Andøya Space have provided suborbital launch services for sounding rockets since the 1960s, and hundreds of rockets have been launched to explore the upper and middle atmosphere in the Arctic. Multi-stage rockets have been launched to altitudes of more than 1600 km. The company have customers from space agencies such as NASA, ESA, JAXA, DLR and a large number of universities and research organizations worldwide. Furthermore, The Alomar Observatory enables international scientists to explore all layers of the Arctic atmosphere with several lidar instruments from its vantage point on top of the Ramnan mountain at Andøya. The publicly owned company Newspace North has ambitions to start an innovation center on Andøya in connection with the new spaceport. The goal is to gather companies and innovators from all over the world to create new technology and innovation on Andøya – in close collaboration with Andøya Space Education and universities and colleges. Andøya Space Education European Space Camp is annually held on Andøya, and there is a plan to establish a physical space cluster named Andøy Technology Park. All in all, Andøya has a lot of space.
What about Bodø and Nordland?
Bodø, located in Nordland, is a key cultural and transportation hub north of the Arctic Circle. It's approximately 330 km (45 minutes by plane) from Andøya and about 850 km (1,5 hours by plane) from Oslo, the Norwegian capital. Bodø's strategic position enhances its role in Norway's commercial space endeavors, and The Norwegian Space Authority (Civil Aviation Authority) is planned to establish in Bodø very soon. The Bodø situated consulting company, KPB (Kunnskapsparken Bodø), is the regional lead for ESA-BIC 2.0 in Nordland. ESA BIC Norway 2.0 is the upgraded Norwegian incubator for business ideas and startups within space technology, managed by Kjeller Innovasjon in collaboration with StartupLab, Fremtidens Industri, Norinova, and KPB. Nordland also has a substantial education programme for space. The Narvik campus of UiT has been a pioneer in Norway since 1996, offering technical education at both the BSc and MSc levels with a focus on satellite and aerospace engineering. Over the years, they have actively participated in various student satellite and sounding rocket projects. UiT Narvik has a Sivil Engineer master program “Aerospace Engineering Master” for satellite- and drone tech. Nord University in Bodø, on their side, has students enrolled in the master’s program “Entrepreneurship and Business Development”, and is engaged with Andøya Space to explore entrepreneurial opportunities within the space sector.
Also, situated in the Bodø region is The Norwegian Joint Headquarters, the military space, air and maritime situational awareness HQ. The NJHQ is located inside a mountain complex just east of Bodø. From its joint operation centre, experienced officers continuously monitor the activity in Norway's vast land and sea territories. This is possible thanks to Norway’s many sensors such as radars, the Coast Guard and their maritime surveillance aircraft. This information is shared with other departments in the Norwegian Armed Forces, and with NATO. The chief of the NJHQ is the Chief of Defence's most important advisor in questions concerning military operations and activity.
Norwegian Space Cluster
The Norwegian Space Cluster was founded in 2023 as an initiative to establish a national collaboration platform with representatives from the entire value chain: R&D, established industry, start-up companies, venture capital and public actors. The project administration consists of Kjeller Innovation (Oslo), KPB (Bodø) and KUPA (Tromsø). Their members range the whole space eco-system from upstream to downstream, start-ups to established companies, research and innovation oraganisations to public sector collaborators as well as investors.
Government Support and Future Prospects
The Norwegian government has allocated NOK 365.6 million for the development of the spaceport, signaling strong support for the project. The spaceport is expected to create new job opportunities and stimulate innovative developments in the space sector2. Furthermore, Norway aims to become more closely integrated into European space cooperation through full participation in EU space programs. More European collaboration can help strengthen Europe's competitiveness in the space sector and other areas. Norway aims for participation in the EU's new program for secure global satellite communication, Secure Connectivity – or IRIS2. Norway will contribute strategic infrastructure for data downloading on Svalbard and in Antarctica. It is the state-owned company Space Norway that is behind the initiative. Andøya Spaceport and Space Norway's project for broadband coverage in the Arctic will really elevate Norway as a space nation. The United States Space Development Agency is working closely with Norway to test the communications network underpinning its constellation, the US SDA Satellite Antenna Ground Station. SDA is installing a radio-frequency antenna in northern Norway and testing Link 16, an encrypted tactical data protocol used in NATO radios, with Norwegian forces. During 2024, Norway will spend approximately NOK 2.1 billion from the state budget on space initiatives. The majority, NOK 1.6 billion, goes to participation in ESA and EU space programs.
In conclusion
Norway’s involvement in space activities dates back to 1962, with over 1,200 suborbital rockets launched from Andøya for atmospheric research. In the future the new spaceport will continue to support scientific missions while expanding capabilities for commercial satellite launches. The opening of Andøya Spaceport is a significant milestone for Norway, positioning the country as a strategic player in the European space industry. It opens up new possibilities for scientific research and commercial endeavors in the realm of satellite technology.
