Recent Activity
Themis VT-T0 reusable first-stage hop tests on track for 2026 from Esrange; SubOrbital Express-4 stratospheric balloon campaign completed Q4 2025 for ESA microgravity science.
Investor Brief
Europe's only continental site with both an inaugurated orbital pad and a vast land-recovery zone — uniquely positioned to host reusable-stage testing (Themis, Callisto) that Kourou cannot, while offering polar access competitive with Andoya.
Ownership
Parent Entity
Regulatory Regime
Anchor Tenants
Latitude Advantage
Launch Azimuth Range
Employees
Country
🇸🇪Sweden
Region
Europe
Established
1,966
Launches / Year
1,020
Years Active
60
Strategic Position
67.8932° N, 21.1041° E
Azimuth: Polar and northern azimuths over uninhabited Norrbotten + Norwegian Sea
67.9 deg N — direct polar/SSO injection on par with Andoya; ~5,200 km^2 land-recovery zone (largest in Europe) enables stage-recovery R&D unavailable elsewhere on the continent
Future Milestones
- 2026
Themis demonstrator first vertical hop test (ArianeGroup + CNES)
- 2026
First orbital launch attempt from Spaceport Esrange (tenant TBD; RFA among candidates)
- 2027
MAIUS microgravity rocket atomic-clock experiment series (DLR)
- 2028
Operational cadence target: 3-5 orbital launches/year
About
Esrange Space Center near Kiruna in northern Sweden is one of Europe's premier rocket and balloon launch facilities. Operational since 1966 for suborbital missions, it has launched over 600 sounding rockets and 600 stratospheric balloons. The new Spaceport Esrange orbital launch complex was inaugurated in January 2023 by Sweden's PM and the EU Commission President, making it one of the few European continental orbital launch sites.
Key Features
Operational since 1966 for sounding rockets and stratospheric balloons
Located above the Arctic Circle at 68 deg N — ideal for polar missions
Spaceport Esrange orbital launch complex inaugurated January 2023
Over 600 sounding rockets and 600 balloons launched to date
Largest civilian land-recovery zone in Europe (~5,200 km^2)
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
TEXUS microgravity research rocket series (1977-present)
MASER materials science in microgravity series
MAXUS high-altitude sounding rocket campaigns for ESA
SubOrbital Express high-altitude test missions
Spaceport Esrange orbital pad inaugurated 13 January 2023 (Ulf Kristersson + Ursula von der Leyen)
Upcoming Launches From This Site
Next missions scheduled to fly from Esrange Space Center
- Provider
- European Space Agency
- Rocket
- Themis Demonstrator
- NET
- Pad
- Launch Complex 3B