Stay at Esrange

This information is for our customers and special invited guests.

When you arrive at the gate, please visit the guard just next to the gate. There you will get what you need for your stay, like security information and your access card.

How to get to Esrange

You can reach Esrange by taxi or car. There is no public transportation to the center. The airport offers rental cars.

Starting point: Kiruna airport

Drive approx. 2.4 km and turn right on E10, South
Drive 5.4 km
Turn left towards Jukkasjärvi and Paksuniemi
Drive 6.2 km and then turn left towards Paksuniemi and Esrange
Drive 6.3 km and then follow the road turning left in Paksuniemi
Drive 18 km until you reach the end of the road, then you arrive at Esrange Guard (you will pass the ESA Satellite Station located 7 km before arriving at Esrange).

For turn-by-turn directions and navigation regardless of your starting position, please use Google Maps. Please be aware of wild animals on the road.

On arrival at the gate, register with the guard. You will get the key to the hotel room from the guard if you arrive after office hours.

There are parking lots near the hotel.

You can order a dinner box from the restaurant. Contact your SSC Space point of contact the day before.

Security

At SSC Space we always adhere to internal security policies and instructions, as well as our customers’ security requirements. Esrange Space Center is a vital installation. You will need an invitation to enter behind the gate. When arriving at Esrange, go to the guard (the building between the gate and the Visitor Center.) You will be asked for a valid personal ID and the name of your SSC Space point of contact.

Always carry your access card visible and always register when entering and exiting
Photography in the area is not allowed.
In case of emergency, call 112

Hotel Aurora

The hotel Aurora is located close to the Main Building. It houses 79 rooms (out of which 20 are double rooms), conference rooms, gym, sauna and kitchens for self-catering. The reception at Esrange Space Center is situated in the Main Building.

Reception opening hours:
Monday – Friday 08:00 -15:50

You will get the key to the hotel room from the guard if you arrive after office hours.

Hotel Aurora image gallery

Restaurant Space Inn

The restaurant is located in the Main Building and is open during normal working hours and during the launch operations. Special requirements regarding the opening hours, special dishes, etc, can normally be fulfilled.

Opening hours:
Breakfast 07:15 – 09:00
Lunch 11:00 – 12:00
Dinner 18:00 – 19:00 (during campaigns only)

Weather and clothes

Esrange has a typical continental climate with cold winters and relatively warm summers. The precipitation and humidity are relatively low all year. Snow begins to fall by late September, and normally by mid-October the ground is covered and the lakes are frozen. The 24-hour average temperature falls below 0° C in early October and stays below until the beginning of May. During the coldest months, December, January and February, the average temperature is normally around -15°C. However, a low of – 48° C has been recorded.

In case you have not brought clothes suitable for the climate you can borrow warm shoes and warm overalls. Please contact the reception.

Weather forecast (smhi.se)

See and do in Kiruna area

The location of Esrange Space Center with its wild, beautiful and magnificent surroundings offers a wide selection of outdoor recreation activities. The mountain area around Kiruna is perfect for hiking and skiing, the lakes and rivers are an eldorado for fishing. In the summer you enter the world of the midnight sun, and in the winter you may experience an incredible light show; the northern lights or Aurora Borealis. It is common to see wild animals such as reindeer and moose.

The town of Kiruna offers shopping, restaurants, bars, dentist, hospital and much more. Read more via the link.

Kiruna Lapland website

Dogsled with three passengers and a guide