Launch of a SubOrbital Express 3 rocket from Esrange Space Center in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, on November 23, 2022. MARC PREEL / AFP
Snow, thousands of fir trees as far as the eye can see and a few scattered reindeer. An almost mild temperature for the time of year, −8°C. A few antennas, satellite dishes and sheds here and there. From here, within the Swedish space location of Esrange, 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, mini rockets will soon be able to send satellites weighing less than a ton into space. Sweden, which holds the presidency of the European Union this semester, invited the media, including Le Monde, to the inauguration of this launch pad on Friday 13 January.
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On this occasion, the Swedish King Carl XVI. Gustaf, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, have arranged to meet in the Far North. “This is a great moment for the European space industry,” said Ms. von der Leyen, adding: “This spaceport now offers independent European access to space”.
While Europa has used Kourou in Guyana for its heavy launchers like Ariane for many years, it does not yet have the infrastructure for small rockets capable of carrying small satellites (up to a few hundred kilograms). Unlike in the US or China.
However, according to various forecasts, the number of satellites to be sent into space is set to increase dramatically in the coming years. If there are 6,750 active satellites orbiting the globe today, according to Stefan Gardefjord, Director of the Swedish Space Agency, by 2040 there could be up to 100,000.
“Wonderful Numbers”
According to the latest data from industry consultancy Euroconsult, released in summer 2022, companies and government agencies are expected to put an average of 1,846 small satellites (under 500kg) into orbit around the world over the coming years a year, an average of five a day, compared to just over one per day from 2012 to 2021. A dizzying acceleration of the market.
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“Beware of these staggering figures,” warns economist Pierre Lionnet, director of research at Eurospace, which brings together European space manufacturers. “They can be very deceptive. They often stem from the announcements of recent years of new constellations of communications satellites… At least 140 projects have been presented in the last ten years, but few have actually seen the light of day because they are not funded. “Most, adds another space player, are ‘PowerPoint constellations’: sold to investors in beautiful presentations…
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