Continental Europe is taking its first steps towards independence in space. Two small space ports in the north of Sweden and Norway – Esrange and Andøya – are preparing to launch the first orbital satellites from EU territory. The aim is one thing: independence from the US giants, dominated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
The ‘America First’ policy and the ongoing war in Ukraine have highlighted to European decision-makers the scale of the risks associated with the lack of our own launch capabilities. Dependence on US systems – both technologically and strategically – has become a problem that can no longer be ignored.
For now, Europe is lagging behind. In 2024, the US conducted as many as 154 rocket launches, Europe only three. By contrast, the EU’s share of global government investment in the space sector was just 10% of $143 billion.
Despite these disparities, Esrange and Andøya are trying to break the deadlock. Esrange, managed by the Swedish Space Corporation, has a unique advantage – a vast, uninhabited area above the Arctic Circle, ideal for launching and recovering rocket parts. Infrastructure, such as rail lines and an airport in nearby Kiruna, provides good logistics.
Andøya in Norway, on the other hand, has partnered with German start-up ISAR Aerospace and already has a licence for 30 launches per year. Although the first test ended in an emergency landing in the sea, it has been hailed as a success and a catalyst for further investment – especially from the defence sector.
Both centres are targeting the LEO (Low Earth Orbit) segment, where up to 70,000 new satellites could be launched by 2030. The problem, however, is technological limitations: the lack of reusable systems, high costs and the limited capacity of the new Ariane 6 rocket, which – despite the success of its debut – is not enough to secure European needs.
Time is working against Europe, but the stakes are high. If Esrange and Andøya manage to conduct their first commercial flights in the next 12-18 months, they could become the foundation of the Union’s future technological sovereignty in space.
