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Over 70 licensed launch facilities now operate globally — 20 commissioned since 2020.
| Attribute | Esrange Space Center 🇸🇪 Sweden Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Operator-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | Wallops Flight Facility 🇺🇸 United States Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | SaxaVord Spaceport Ltd | Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) | NASA |
| Ownership | Private | State Enterprise | Public-Private |
| Region | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Launch pads | — | 1 orbital pad (under development; multiple sounding rocket launch rails)as of [1] | 2 orbital (Pad 0A Antares, Pad 0B Minotaur-C)as of [1] ↑ Most pads |
| Annual launches | 0 | 8–12 suborbitalas of [1]Orbital capacity ~100 kg planned for 2027; SSC orbital pad construction ongoing | 6–10as of [1]Includes Antares/Cygnus cargo + sounding rocket campaigns |
| Max payload (LEO) | — | suborbital only (historical); ~100 kg to SSO planned 2027as of [1] | 8,000 kg to LEO (Antares 230+)as of [1] ↑ Highest capacity |
| First operational launch | 2022 | 1966-11-19as of [1]First Nike-Cajun sounding rocket from Esrange; first European orbital launch site when orbital pad opens | 1945-06-27as of [1]First Wallops Island V-2/WAC Corporal test; orbital launches began 1961 |
| Regulatory regime | UK CAA under the Space Industry Act 2018 + Space Industry Regulations 2021 | Swedish Space Act (1982:963) + Swedish National Space Agency; EU/EASA airspace coordination | NASA range + FAA-AST Part 450 commercial license under MARS operating agreement |
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