Editing Esrange

{{short description|Spaceport in northern Sweden}}
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[[Image:Skylark launch.jpg|thumb|The final [[Skylark (rocket)|Skylark]] rocket launch at Esrange on 2 May 2005.]]

'''Esrange Space Center''' is a rocket range and [[research]] centre located about 40 kilometers east of the town of [[Kiruna]] in northern [[Sweden]]. It is a base for [[scientific]] research with [[high-altitude balloon]]s, investigation of the [[Aurora|aurora borealis]], [[sounding rocket]] launches, and [[satellite]] tracking, among other things. Located 200&nbsp;km north of the [[Arctic Circle]] and surrounded by a vast wilderness, its geographic location is ideal for many of these purposes.

Esrange was built in 1964 by [[European Space Research Organisation|ESRO]], the ''European Space Research Organisation'', which later became [[European Space Agency]] by merging with [[European Launcher Development Organisation|ELDO]], the European Launcher Development Organisation. The first rocket launch from Esrange occurred on 19 November 1966.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dn.se/ekonomi/rymdturism-nasta-steg-for-raketbasen-esrange/|title=Rymdturism nästa steg för raketbasen Esrange |trans-title=Space tourism next stage for the rocket base Esrange |work=[[Dagens Nyheter]]|language=sv|first=Cecilia |last=Jacobsson|date=6 October 2007|access-date=19 March 2016}}</ref> In 1972, ownership was transferred to the newly started [[Swedish Space Corporation]].

==History==
In the 1960s, Esrange was established as an [[European Space Research Organisation|ESRO]] sounding rocket launching range located in [[Kiruna]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Backman|first1=Fredrick|title=Making Place for Space: a History of 'Space Town' Kiruna 1943-2000|date=2015|publisher=Umeå University|location=Umeå, Sweden|isbn=978-91-7601-244-4|url=http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-101725}}</ref> This location was chosen because it was generally agreed that it was important to carry out a sounding rocket programme in the [[Aurora#Occurrence|auroral zone]], and for this reason it was essential that ESRO equip itself with a suitable range in the northern latitudes. Access to Kiruna was good by air, road and rail, and the launching range was relatively close to the town of Kiruna. Finally and perhaps decisively, Esrange could be located near Kiruna Geophysical Observatory (subsequently renamed to [[Swedish Institute of Space Physics]]). In 1972 ownership and operations of the range was transferred to the [[Swedish Space Corporation]].

==Name==
The name of the facility was originally '''ESRANGE''', which was an abbreviation for '''ESRO Sounding Rocket Launching Range'''.

When Swedish Space Corporation took over the range, its name became '''Esrange''' (with capital 'E' only).

'''Esrange Space Center''' is the name that is currently used for the facility.

Other ways to interpret the name over the years has been '''''E'''uropean '''S'''pace and Sounding Rocket '''Range''''', and '''''E'''uropean '''S'''pace '''Range'''''.

==Rocket activities==
There had been Swedish rocket activities previously, mainly at [[Kronogård]] (18 launches in the period 1961–1964).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Backman|first1=Fredrick|title=Making Place for Space: a History of 'Space Town' Kiruna 1943-2000|date=2015|publisher=Umeå University|location=Umeå, Sweden|isbn=978-91-7601-244-4|url=http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-101725}}</ref> However, the rocket activity in Sweden did not gain thrust until after [[ESRO]] established Esrange in 1964.

During the period 1966–1972 [[ESRO]] launched more than 150 rockets from Esrange. Most of these were [[Centaure (rocket)|Centaure]], [[Nike Apache]], and [[Skua (rocket)|Skua]] rockets reaching 100–220&nbsp;km altitude. They supported many branches of European research, but the emphasis was on atmospheric and ionospheric research.

In 1972 the management of Esrange was transferred to the [[Swedish Space Corporation]] (SSC). Gradually the smaller rockets were complemented by larger rockets reaching higher altitudes, achieving [[weightlessness]] for a few minutes when the rocket is above the parts of the atmosphere giving an appreciable friction. Three main programmes, [[TEXUS|Texus]], [[Maser (rocket)|Maser]], and [[Maxus (rocket)|Maxus]] currently dominate the rocket activities at Esrange and support [[microgravity]] research for [[European Space Agency|ESA]] and [[German Aerospace Center|DLR]]:

{|class=wikitable
!Programme
!Rocket motor
!Peak altitude
!Payload mass
!Microgravity time
!Period
!Launches
!Customers
|- 
|[[TEXUS|Texus]]
|[[Skylark (rocket)|Skylark 7]], [[VSB-30]]
|250–300&nbsp;km
|330–400&nbsp;kg
|6 minutes
|1977–
|60
|[[German Aerospace Center|DLR]] and [[European Space Agency|ESA]]
|-
|[[Maser (rocket)|Maser]]
|[[Black Brant (rocket)|Black Brant]], [[Skylark (rocket)|Skylark 7]], [[VSB-30]]
|250–300&nbsp;km
|330–400&nbsp;kg
|6 minutes
|1987–
|15
|[[European Space Agency|ESA]]
|-
|[[Maxus (rocket)|Maxus]]
|[[Castor (rocket stage)|Castor 4B]]
|700–720&nbsp;km
|800&nbsp;kg
|12–13 minutes
|1991–
|8
|[[European Space Agency|ESA]] and [[German Aerospace Center|DLR]]
|-
|[[TEXUS|Mini-Texus]]
|[[Nike Orion]]
|120–150&nbsp;km
|160–200&nbsp;kg
|3–4 minutes
|1993–1998
|6
|[[German Aerospace Center|DLR]] and [[European Space Agency|ESA]]
|-
|[[Rexus/Bexus|Rexus]]
|[[Improved Orion]]
|80–110 km
|100kg
|2 minutes
|1995–
|32
|[[German Aerospace Center|DLR]], [[European Space Agency|ESA]], [[Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity|ZARM]]
|-
|MAPHEUS 
|Nike-Orion, [[VS-30]], [[Improved Malemute]]/Improved Malemute, [[Red Kite (rocket)|Red Kite]]/Improved Malemute
|150-250 km
| -
|6 minutes
|2009-
|14
|[[German Aerospace Center|DLR]]
|-
|SERA 
|Cesaroni Pro 98-6G
|5-10 km
| -
| -
|2014-
|4
|[[CNES]]
|}

[[Swedish Space Corporation|SSC]], jointly with [[German Aerospace Center|DLR]], introduced a new launch service with the Suborbital Express programme launched in 2019. Suborbital Express is now integrating the [[Maser (rocket)|Maser]] microgravity programme.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sscspace.com/ssc-introduce-new-service-for-easy-access-to-space-suborbital-express/|title=Suborbital Express|website=Swedish Space Corporation|date=17 June 2019 }}</ref>

More than 500 rockets have been launched from Esrange since 1966. For information on individual rockets, see the '''[[List of rockets launched from Esrange]]'''.

Esrange has six [[Rocket launcher|launcher]]s:
* MAXUS launcher (used for the CASTOR 4B rocket)
* MAN launcher (owned by DLR)
* MRL Launcher (used for the Orion, Nike-Orion, Taurus-Orion, Nike-Black Brant V, Terrier-Black Brant rockets)
* Skylark launch tower (now used for the VSB-30 rocket)
* FFAR launcher (used for [[Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket]]s)
* SULO/VIPER launcher (used for [[Super Loki]] and [[Viper Dart|VIPER]] rockets)

==Balloon activities==
[[Image:BLAST on flightline balloon filling kiruna 2005.jpeg|thumb|right|The [[BLAST (telescope)|BLAST]] payload and high-altitude balloon shortly before launch.]]
Since 1974, more than 500 [[high-altitude balloon]]s have been launched from Esrange for research purposes. The launch pad can handle balloons with volumes exceeding 1 million cubic meters.

==Satellite services==
The arctic latitude of Esrange makes it very suitable for communication with satellites in polar orbits. ''Esrange Satellite Station'' is part of a global network with stations in Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, Chile and Australia. This global network is managed from Esrange. 

''Esrange Space Center'' satellite station focuses on data acquisition and processing for [[remote sensing]] and scientific missions as well as TT&C support. The station is often used in combination with SSC's ''Inuvik Satellite Station'' in northern Canada, to increase coverage opportunities for polar orbiting missions.

''Esrange Space Center'' satellite station includes six independent Telemetry Tracking & Command (TT&C) systems in S-Band (one with receive capability also in the UHF-Band), six multi-frequency receive antenna systems in S/X-Band and an operational building which houses reception system electronics and data processing equipment. Satellite services at Esrange began in 1978.

===Satellite control services===
A number of telecommunication satellites have been controlled through Esrange:
* [[Tele-X]] (1989–1998)
* [[Sirius (satellite)|Sirius-1]] (1995–2003)
* [[Sirius (satellite)|Sirius-2]] (1997–2009)
* [[Sirius (satellite)|Sirius-3]] (1998–2015)
* [[Sirius (satellite)|Sirius-4]] (2008–)
 
Most research satellites of the Swedish space programme have received control commands through Esrange:
* [[Viking (satellite)|Viking]] (1986–1987)
* [[Freja (satellite)|Freja]] (1992–1996)
* [[Astrid (satellite)|Astrid-1]] (1995)
* [[Odin (satellite)|Odin]] (2001–)

The exception was controlled from SSC's laboratories in Solna outside Stockholm:
* [[Astrid (satellite)|Astrid-2]] (1998–1999)

===Ground station services===
Data have been received at Esrange from more than 50 satellites, including SPOT 1–5, Landsat 2–7, [[ERS-1]]–2 and [[Envisat]].

==Satellite launch capability==

Ideas to use Esrange Space Center for orbital launches has existed since the inauguration of the base in 1966, then in the vision of ESRO. As new smaller launcher projects started to emerge in the beginning of the new millennia, SSC started to form new ideas to use these to obtain an orbital capability.

On October 14, 2020, Matilda Ernkrans, the Swedish Space Minister, announced the decision of the Swedish government to establish capability to launch small satellites from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sscspace.com/ssc-to-launch-satellites-esrange-space-center/|title=SSC to launch satellites from Esrange Space Center|website=SSC|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

The orbital launch site, LC-3, was inaugurated on 13 January 2023 as the ribbon was cut by the Swedish king [[Carl XVI Gustaf]], prime minister [[Ulf Kristersson]] together with [[President of the European Commission|head commissioner]] President [[Ursula von der Leyen|Ursula Von der Leyen]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Inauguration of Spaceport Esrange | date=13 January 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5wRsAYzVmw |language=en |access-date=2023-02-08}}</ref> There are currently plans for an orbital launch at 2024.

==Impact==
[[Image:Esrange shelter at Vassejávri, outside.jpg|A vast uninhabited area north of the range is used as an area where the sounding rockets can land. Spread throughout this area are small shelters, like the one shown in this picture. When a launch campaign is planned, people are asked to visit such shelters and listen to the radio. This shelter is at Vassejávri, around 10 km west of [[Järämä (Sweden)]].|thumb|250px|right]]
[[Image:Esrange shelter at Vassejávri, interior.jpg|Interior of such a shelter|thumb|200px|right]]

The area of the site is traditional land of the [[Sami people]], particularly for [[reindeer herding]]. Shelters have been established for people in the surrounding area to take cover during launches.
Increased industrial, military and aeronautic activity in the region has been viewed critically by Sami people.<ref name="ESA">{{cite web | title=Esrange and ESA | website=ESA | url=https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/Esrange_and_ESA | access-date=2023-03-22}}</ref><ref name="Nielsen 2023">{{cite web | last=Nielsen | first=Nikolaj | title=Europe's new space port seeks to launch reusable rockets | website=EUobserver | date=2023-01-16 | url=https://euobserver.com/nordics/156603 | access-date=2023-03-22}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of rockets launched from Esrange]]
*[[Swedish Space Corporation]]
*[[Swedish National Space Agency]]
*[[Swedish Institute of Space Physics]]
*[[North European Aerospace Test range]]
*[[List of rocket launch sites]]
*[[Rexus/Bexus]]
*[[SaxaVord Spaceport]]

==References==

===Footnotes===
<references/>

===Sources===
* The History of Sounding Rockets and Their Contribution to European Space Research, Günther Seibert, ESA HSR-38, November 2006, {{ISBN|92-9092-550-7}}.

==External links==
{{Commonscat-inline|Esrange}}
*[https://www.sscspace.com/ssc-worldwide/esrange-space-center/ Esrange Space Center]
*[http://stratocat.com.ar/bases/37e.htm List of stratospheric balloons launched from Esrange]
*[https://www.sscspace.com Swedish Space Corporation] - Official site

{{coord|67|53|38|N|21|06|25|E|display=title}}

{{Spaceport}}
{{ESA projects|state=uncollapsed}}

[[Category:European Space Agency]]
[[Category:Spaceflight]]
[[Category:Spaceports in Europe]]
[[Category:Rocket launch sites in Sweden]]
[[Category:Science and technology in Sweden]]
[[Category:Space programme of Sweden]]
[[Category:Kiruna Municipality]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Norrbotten County]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:20th-century establishments in Norrbotten County]]