In review
Marcus Wandt to the ISS
Sweden’s third astronaut made his space journey to the International Space Station (ISS). SSC was one of the sponsors for the project called Muninn, where Wandt brought an experiment to the space station that had previously been tested onboard a sounding rocket launched from Esrange. On April 11th, SSC also hosted a visit to Kiruna for Wandt and his entourage.
Nine successful rocket launches
During the year, nine sounding rockets were launched from Esrange. Among them was DART, which became the first to be launched from our newest facility, Launch Complex 3 (LC3), from where the first satellite launches will take place. The other rockets were TEXUS 59 and 60, REXUS 31 and 32, STERN III, and MAPHEUS-14 and 15 – the latter being the 600th rocket launch from Esrange since the base was put into operation in the 60’s.
SubOrbital Express-4, the 16th MASER rocket within SSC’s flagship program, was also launched in November. After more than two years of planning and preparation, scientists from the United States, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden saw their research take to skies. Onboard were experiments ranging from the human immune system, ways to manufacture more efficient solar cells for greener energy production, and particle research that will provide answers about the birth of our universe.
Record-breaking antenna for SSC’s network
A long-term contract was signed with the Latvian companies VIRATEC and VUAS to strengthen SSC’s lunar ground capabilities. The agreement was an extension of a partnership announced in 2023, with one of the added antennas measuring 32 meters in diameter, making it not only suitable for missions to the moon but also the largest of all antennas within SSC’s global network of ground stations.
Several high-level visits to Esrange
Seventy parliamentarians from the EU Parliament and most Arctic countries visited Esrange Space Center as part of the Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region (CPAR) held in Kiruna. The importance of Esrange and its satellite launch capability has received significant attention during the year, including during Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström’s visit to Texas, and later also to Esrange.
SSC also had the honor to welcome General B Chance Saltzman, Chief of the U.S. Space Force, to Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden. During his visit, the General was shown around the new facility where EU mainland’s first satellites will be launched within the next years. As the highest-ranking official of the newest of the six branches of the U.S. armed forces, Saltzman emphasized the importance of the space domain as a whole and highlighted the need for continued transatlantic collaboration in both commercial and military space missions.
Partnership with two orbital rocket companies
Perhaps the most important news of the year was announced during the summer as SSC announced two historic partnerships with leading rocket manufacturers for the forthcoming satellite launches from Esrange. Together with the U.S. company Firefly Aerospace and South Korean Perigee Aerospace, SSC will offer attractive satellite launch services. The first launch of an orbital rocket from Esrange is getting closer.
Supporting another Lunar Mission
In June, SSC signed a collaborative agreement with ispace-U.S. to support their upcoming Mission-3 including the lunar lander APEX 1.0. SSC will provide critical communication links to this lunar journey through our global network of ground stations.
Balloon Bonanza at Esrange
During the summer, a total of 14 stratospheric balloon missions were carried out at Esrange. Never before has SSC released these many balloons in such a short timeframe. Together with our customers NASA and CNES, we released eight stratospheric balloons – ATMOSFER, SAPHERALLER, TRANSAT, XL-CALIBUR, HELIX, SUNRISE-III, EXPLORA, and BOOMS – the latter being the largest and equivalent to the world-record-sized of about three times the Globe Arena in Stockholm. The other six balloons were BEXUS 34 and 35, and Sent-Into-Space 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Kickoff in Italy
After founding our latest subsidiary in Italy, SSC Space Italy, the company signed its first contract and began delivering its first service contract at the Galileo Control Centre in Fucino. The future looks bright for SSC in the important Italian space market.
Support via SSC’s ground station network
Our global ground station network continues to play an important role in various space programs, such as the launch of Sentinel-2 within the European Earth observation program Copernicus. Our engineering teams at ESA’s operations center in Germany have supported key milestones within EU and ESA space programs, such as Galileo L13, Sentinel-2, and the Cluster-2 satellite’s return to Earth – to name a few.
Expanded collaboration with Ovzon
As a result of continued partnership with the satellite-as-a-service company Ovzon, SSC placed an order worth 10,8 MEUR for continued satellite communication services. Shortly after that, the two companies also signed a collaborative agreement to broaden, deepen and strengthen the already successfully developed partnership with the aim to develop unique sovereign space and satellite capabilities.
Orbital Launch & Rocket Test established as new division
Since 1 September, Orbital Launch & Rocket Test (OLRT) has been established as a new division. OLRT was previously a unit within the Science Services division. The ability to offer a strong and viable service for launching satellites to orbit, as well as rocket and motor tests, is a key component in SSC’s efforts to strengthen its competitiveness and market position.
New office in the U.S.
The space market in the U.S. is of great importance and keeps growing continuously, especially in the commercial area. To keep pace with this development and create an inspiring work environment that drives innovation and growth, our U.S. subsidiary recently moved to a new office which was inaugurated in September 2024.
Historic mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa
In October, NASA’s Europa Clipper was launched onboard a SpaceX rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it began its journey to Jupiter’s moon Europa. As this is one of the most talked-about projects in the space industry right now, SSC was especially proud to support the mission from the ground with communication services via our ground stations in Western Australia and Hawaii.
Growing in the Indian NewSpace market
As a step in growing our operations in the flourishing NewSpace market in India, SSC has signed a service agreement for launch tracking with the Indian rocket company Skyroot Aerospace. The agreement allows Skyroot to utilize SSC’s expertise and ground station in Australia for future commercial launches of the orbital launch vehicle Vikram-1, planned for 2025.
Solar farm in Western Australia
SSC’s long-term goal of zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2040 includes several major investments. Following the rollout of a new solar farm in Santiago in 2022, SSC introduced a new facility with 1,500 solar panels at the company’s ground station in Australia during the autumn.
