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Today, Esrange launches rockets that reach a weightless state and then fall to the ground again. The new investment requires rockets that are at least three times the size of the Maxus rockets, which are the largest in Esrange today, as well as a new ramp from which they can be launched.
For that the money will be used, now promised by Matilda Ernkrans (S), Minister of Higher Education and responsible for spatial problems.
– The government is launching 90 million in three years to be able to start launching satellites. The money will come this year to get the project started, says Matilda Ernkrans.
It will place Esrange as a space base and Sweden as a space nation among Europe’s leading players.
– We are pleased that Sweden has taken this step, says Stefan Gardefjord, CEO of SSC.
“We have waited a long time”
The investment will be part of what is often called the new space age. Instead of large national space programs, there are now many private actors who will be interested in putting small satellites into orbit around the Earth.
– We’ve been waiting for this for a long time. It will be a very exciting future, says Lennart Poromaa, Esrange manager.
It is a market that is exploding. Today, there are around 2,000 satellites in orbit, in a period of ten years it is believed that there will be between 10,000 and 12,000 satellites.
Research has already shown that the investment would be a good business, despite the large investment costs.
