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Norway Opened Andøya Spaceport

 

Photo: Andøya Space

Norway has officially opened what it calls the “first operational spaceport in continental Europe.”

Andøya Spaceport, future launch site of Isar Aerospace, was officially opened by Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon on 2 November. It is located in Nordmela on the Norwegian Island of Andoya.

Although the spaceport will eventually include several launch pads, only one has been completed to date. The pad has been secured for exclusive use by Germany’s Isar Aerospace, which plans to use the pad to launch the maiden flight of its two-stage Spectrum rocket.

Both Andoya Space and Isar asserted in a joint press release that the inauguration of the spaceport represented the opening of the first operational spaceport in continental Europe. However, until a launch actually occurs from Andoya, the claim that it’s the “first operational spaceport in continental Europe” is controversial.

Isar Aerospace, based in Ottobrunn/Munich, develops and builds launch vehicles for transporting small and medium-sized satellites as well as satellite constellations into Earth’s orbit.

Isar is currently working towards integrated stage testing on its Spectrum rocket.

Source: European Spaceflight

07.11.2023