EU opens first satellite launch facility on the mainland

KIRUNA, Sweden (AP) — The European Union It wants to increase its ability to launch small satellites into orbit with a new launchpad in Arctic Sweden.

European officials and the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf During a visit to Sweden by the European Commission’s executive arm, the 27-nation bloc, members inaugurated Friday the EU’s first orbital launch center on the mainland.

The new facility at Esrange Space Center near the city of Kiruna should complement the EU’s current launching capabilities in French Guiana.

Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission stated that small satellites were crucial for monitoring natural disasters in their real time. Russia’s war in UkraineTo help ensure global security.

“Today, we know that the brave Ukrainian forces effectively use small satellites to track the movements of Russian troops,” she said.

Next year will see the first satellite launch.

According to the Swedish Space Corp. or SSC, the total number could surpass 5,000 satellites by 2040.

“This is a giant leap for SSC, for Sweden, for Europe and the rest of the world,” SSC chief executive Stefan Gardefjord said.

“Satellites are decisive for many functions of the daily lives of today’s modern world, and the need for them will only increase in the years to come with space playing an even more important role,” he said.