Deep in Sweden’s Forest, Esrange Aims to Help Europe Launch From Home Soil

KIRUNA, Sweden — Deep in the Swedish forest, where reindeer roam and scientists ski in winter, the state-owned Esrange Space Center is expanding its capabilities to help Europe launch satellites from the continent’s mainland and compete with the United States, China and Russia.

For decades, Europe has relied largely on overseas facilities for orbital launches; the continent’s only base capable of sending rockets and satellites into orbit is in French Guiana. Esrange’s build-out of orbital rocket programs is part of a wider effort to reduce that reliance and to capture a growing commercial market for launches.

Europe’s reassessment of its space posture has been prompted by political and market developments. The Trump administration’s “America First” policies strained transatlantic cooperation in some quarters, and the global commercial launch market is expanding rapidly, officials and analysts say. Those factors have renewed interest among European governments and agencies in onshore launch infrastructure.

“The gap is significant,” said Hermann Ludwig Moeller, director of the European Space Policy Institute. “I would argue that Europe, to be anywhere relevant in the next five to 10 years, needs to at least double its investment in space. And saying that it would double doesn’t mean that it would catch up by the same factor, because you can expect that other regions will also continue to step up.”

Esrange, located near the northern Swedish town of Kiruna, has long hosted sounding rockets, balloon launches and ground-based space testing. Its expansion plans include facilities intended to support orbital-class rockets, logistics and launch operations from mainland Europe. Proponents say a European mainland launch capability would shorten delivery times for satellites, provide strategic autonomy and cultivate a domestic commercial launch sector.

Building an operational orbital launch site involves regulatory, technical and environmental hurdles, as well as investment in range safety, tracking and payload processing. Sweden’s sparse northern territory around Kiruna offers low population density that eases some safety and overflight concerns, and the site’s existing infrastructure for suborbital flights provides a foundation for further development.

European officials and industry leaders have framed such investments as necessary to remain competitive. While current reliance on French Guiana’s Kourou spaceport has served Europe for decades, geographic and political considerations have pushed policymakers to diversify launch options. The commercial satellite market’s growth has created demand for more frequent, flexible and lower-cost launches, increasing pressure to expand launch capacity within Europe.

Esrange’s expansion is part of a broader continental conversation about funding and strategic priorities. Analysts warn that maintaining or gaining relevance in the global space sector will require significantly increased spending and coordination among European states and agencies. Moeller’s assessment that Europe must at least double its space investment underscores how rapidly other regions are accelerating their programs.

Esrange’s proponents say the site could bolster Europe’s industrial base, create jobs in northern Sweden and reduce dependence on overseas launch facilities. Officials have not provided a definitive timeline for when orbital launches from the site might begin, and further decisions on financing, international cooperation and regulatory approvals remain to be settled.

As nations and private companies worldwide step up efforts in space, Esrange represents one of several European moves to secure a foothold in a competitive, fast-moving arena. For Kiruna and its scientists, the forested launchpad symbolizes both local change and a continent-wide push to ensure Europe remains an active presence in orbit.