Esrange - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Esrange Space Center is a rocket range and research

Research

Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...

centre located outside the town of Kiruna

Kiruna

Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality Kiruna (Northern Sami: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna) is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is...

in northern Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

. It is a base for scientific research with high altitude balloon

High altitude balloon

High-altitude balloons are unmanned balloons, usually filled with helium or hydrogen that are released into the stratosphere, generally reaching between ....

s, investigation of the aurora borealis, sounding rocket

Sounding rocket

A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The origin of the term comes from nautical vocabulary, where to sound is to throw a weighted line from a ship into...

launches, and satellite

Satellite

In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....

tracking, among other things. Located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle

Arctic Circle

The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....

and surrounded by a vast wilderness, its geographic location is ideal for many of these purposes. Richard Branson

Richard Branson

Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....

of Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...

has looked into the option of using this site for launching space tourism

Space tourism

Space Tourism is space travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. A number of startup companies have sprung up in recent years, hoping to create a space tourism industry...

, starting in 2011.
The local hotel Aurora has been used by tourists since December 2007, who want to spend time at the only rocket base allowing tourists to sleep in the hotels, which are normally meant for scientists and engineers.

Esrange was built in 1964 by ESRO

ESRO

The European Space Research Organization was an international organisation founded by 10 European nations with the intention of jointly pursuing scientific research in space. It was founded in 1964...

, the European Space Research Organisation, which later became European Space Agency

European Space Agency

The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...

by merging with ELDO, the European Launcher Development Organisation. In 1972, ownership was transferred to the newly started Swedish Space Corporation

Swedish Space Corporation

The Swedish Space Corporation is a comprehensive space company covering the entire field, from the definition of innovative business concepts and space projects to the development, tests and operation of the systems....

.

In 2007, it was proposed that Spaceport Sweden

Spaceport Sweden

Spaceport Sweden is a company that plans to make Kiruna the primary European Spaceport for personal suborbital spaceflight and space tourism. It's a co-operation between the Swedish Space Corporation, the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, LFV Group and Kiruna’s business-development company Progressum.The...

be co-located with Esrange at Kiruna.

History

In 1964 ESRANGE was established as an ESRO

ESRO

sounding rocket launching range located in Kiruna

Kiruna

(Sweden). This location was chosen because it was generally agreed that it was important to carry out a sounding rocket programme in the 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

Swedish Institute of Space Physics

The Swedish Institute of Space Physics or Institutet för rymdfysik is a Swedish government agency. The institute's primary task is to carry out basic research, education and associated observatory activities in space physics, space technology and atmospheric physics.-Foundation:The IRF was founded...

). In 1972 ownership and operations of the range was transferred to the Swedish Space Corporation

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

Swedish Space Corporation

took over the range, Esrange (with capital 'E' only) became a name only.

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

Rocket activities

There had been Swedish rocket activities previously, mainly at Kronogård

Kronogard

Kronogård is the name of a launch site for sounding rockets in North Sweden at . Kronogård was originally a hunting post for royal foresters and hunters. In the 1950s a rocket launch site was established, from which mainly rockets of the type Nike Cajun were launched to explore the upper atmosphere...

(18 launches in the period 1961-1964). However, the rocket activity in Sweden did not gain thrust until after ESRO

ESRO

established Esrange in 1964.

During the period 1966-1972 ESRO

ESRO

launched more than 150 rockets from Esrange. Most of these were Centaure

Centaure

Centaure is the designation of a two-stage French sounding rocket consisting of a Belier starting stage and a Venus upper stage. The Centaure has been built in a number of 230 and has been launched from Hammaguir, Reggane, CELPA, Salto di Quirra, Esrange, Thumba, Sonmiani and Andøya...

, Nike Apache

Nike Apache

The Nike Apache was a two-stage sounding rocket used by NASA to loft instruments into the upper atmosphere. The Nike Apache was launched 636 times between 1961 and 1978...

, and Skua

Skua (rocket)

Skua is the designation of a British sounding rocket which was launched between 1959 and 1981 in 4 versions over 300 times. The Skua was developed by Bristol Aerojet and RPE Wescott. It consisted of a starting stage made up of several Chick rockets that burned for 0.2 seconds. They propelled the...

rockets reaching 100–220 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

Swedish Space Corporation

(SSC). Gradually the smaller rockets were complemented by larger rockets reaching higher altitudes, achieving weightlessness

Weightlessness

Weightlessness is the condition that exists for an object or person when they experience little or no acceleration except the acceleration that defines their inertial trajectory, or the trajectory of pure free-fall...

for a few minutes when the rocket is above the parts of the atmosphere giving an appreciable friction. Three main programmes, Texus

TEXUS

TEXUS is a European/German sounding rocket programme, serving the microgravity programmes of ESA and DLR. The launches are conducted from Esrange in Sweden....

, Maser

Maser (rocket)

Maser is a sounding rocket that is used in the MASER microgravity research rocket programme, which is operated by the Swedish Space Corporation . The main customer is the European Space Agency , and in particular its EMIR and ELIPS programmes....

, and Maxus

Maxus (rocket)

Maxus is a sounding rocket that are used in the MAXUS microgravity rocket programme, a joint venture between Swedish Space Corporation and EADS Astrium Space Transportation used by ESA...

currently dominate the rocket activities at Esrange and support microgravity research for ESA and DLR

German Aerospace Center

The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in...

Programme	Rocket motor	Peak altitude	Payload mass	Microgravity time	Period	Launches	Customers
Texus TEXUS TEXUS is a European/German sounding rocket programme, serving the microgravity programmes of ESA and DLR. The launches are conducted from Esrange in Sweden....	Skylark 7 Skylark (rocket) Skylark was a British sounding rocket design. The Skylark was first launched in 1957 from Woomera, Australia and its 441st and final launch took place from Esrange, Sweden on 2 May 2005... , VSB-30 VSB-30 VSB-30 - "Veículo de Sondagem Booster – 30" is the designation of a Brazilian sounding rocket, which replaced the Skylark rocket at Esrange....	250–300 km	330–400 kg	6 minutes	1977-	47	DLR German Aerospace Center The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in... and ESA
Maser Maser (rocket) Maser is a sounding rocket that is used in the MASER microgravity research rocket programme, which is operated by the Swedish Space Corporation . The main customer is the European Space Agency , and in particular its EMIR and ELIPS programmes....	Black Brant Black Brant (rocket) The Black Brant is a Canadian-designed sounding rocket built by Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over 800 Black Brants of various versions have been launched since they were first produced in 1961, and the type remains one of the most popular sounding rockets ever built... , Skylark 7 Skylark (rocket) Skylark was a British sounding rocket design. The Skylark was first launched in 1957 from Woomera, Australia and its 441st and final launch took place from Esrange, Sweden on 2 May 2005... , VSB-30 VSB-30 VSB-30 - "Veículo de Sondagem Booster – 30" is the designation of a Brazilian sounding rocket, which replaced the Skylark rocket at Esrange....	250–300 km	330–400 kg	6 minutes	1987-	11	ESA
Maxus Maxus (rocket) Maxus is a sounding rocket that are used in the MAXUS microgravity rocket programme, a joint venture between Swedish Space Corporation and EADS Astrium Space Transportation used by ESA...	Castor 4B Castor (rocket stage) The Castor family of solid-fuel rocket stages and boosters were built by Thiokol and used on a variety of launch vehicles. They were initially developed as the second stage motor of the Scout rocket...	700–720 km	800 kg	12–13 minutes	1991-	7	ESA and DLR German Aerospace Center The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in...
Mini-Texus TEXUS TEXUS is a European/German sounding rocket programme, serving the microgravity programmes of ESA and DLR. The launches are conducted from Esrange in Sweden....	Nike Orion Nike Orion Nike Orion is the designation of a two-stage American elevator research rocket, with a Nike base stage and an Orion upper stage. The Nike Orion is 9 m long, has a diameter of 0.42 m, a launch weight of 1100 kilograms , a launch thrust of 217 kN and a ceiling of 140 km .-External links:*...	120–150 km	160–200 kg	3–4 minutes	1993–1998	6	DLR German Aerospace Center The German Aerospace Center is the national centre for aerospace, energy and transportation research of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has multiple locations throughout Germany. Its headquarters are located in Cologne. It is engaged in a wide range of research and development projects in... and ESA

More than 400 rockets have been launched from Esrange since 1966. For information on individual rockets, see the Esrange rocket launch list.

Esrange has four launch pad

Launch pad

A launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch....

Aries launcher
Centaure
Centaure
Centaure is the designation of a two-stage French sounding rocket consisting of a Belier starting stage and a Venus upper stage. The Centaure has been built in a number of 230 and has been launched from Hammaguir, Reggane, CELPA, Salto di Quirra, Esrange, Thumba, Sonmiani and Andøya...

launcher
MRL Launcher (used for the Black Brant
Black Brant (rocket)
The Black Brant is a Canadian-designed sounding rocket built by Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Over 800 Black Brants of various versions have been launched since they were first produced in 1961, and the type remains one of the most popular sounding rockets ever built...

)
Skylark launch tower
Skylark launch tower
A Skylark tower is a tower used for the launch of earlier versions of Skylark rockets. As Skylark rockets have no guidance system and accelerate slowly, they require a safe launch tower with a height of at least 24 metres with a guidance system....

(used for the Maxus and Skylark
Skylark (rocket)
Skylark was a British sounding rocket design. The Skylark was first launched in 1957 from Woomera, Australia and its 441st and final launch took place from Esrange, Sweden on 2 May 2005...

)

Balloon activities

Since 1974, more than 500 high-altitude balloons 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. Satellite services began in 1978.

Satellite control services

A number of telecommunication satellites have been controlled through Esrange:

Tele-X
Tele-X
Tele-X was the first communications satellite serving the Nordic countries. It was launched with an Ariane 2 rocket from Kourou, French Guyana, on April 2, 1989. On January 16, 1998, its fuel was exhausted and it was moved into graveyard orbit...

(1989–1998)
Sirius-1
SIRIUS (satellite)
Sirius was a constellation of communications satellites operated at 5°E in geostationary orbit by SES Sirius . They carried digital satellite television to the countries of Scandinavia, Baltic states, eastern Europe and Africa, including the Viasat pay TV system, along with several pay TV...

(1995–2003)
Sirius-2
SIRIUS (satellite)
Sirius was a constellation of communications satellites operated at 5°E in geostationary orbit by SES Sirius . They carried digital satellite television to the countries of Scandinavia, Baltic states, eastern Europe and Africa, including the Viasat pay TV system, along with several pay TV...

(1997–2009)
Sirius-3
SIRIUS (satellite)
Sirius was a constellation of communications satellites operated at 5°E in geostationary orbit by SES Sirius . They carried digital satellite television to the countries of Scandinavia, Baltic states, eastern Europe and Africa, including the Viasat pay TV system, along with several pay TV...

(1998-)
Sirius-4
SIRIUS (satellite)
Sirius was a constellation of communications satellites operated at 5°E in geostationary orbit by SES Sirius . They carried digital satellite television to the countries of Scandinavia, Baltic states, eastern Europe and Africa, including the Viasat pay TV system, along with several pay TV...

(2008-)

Most research satellites of the Swedish space programme have received control commands through Esrange:

Viking
Viking (satellite)
Viking was Sweden's first satellite. It was launched on an Ariane 1 rocket as a piggyback payload together with the French satellite SPOT 1, on February 22, 1986. Operations ended on May 12, 1987...

(1986–1987)
Freja
Freja (satellite)
FREJA was a Swedish satellite developed by the Swedish Space Corporation on behalf of the Swedish National Space Board. It was piggyback launched on a Long March 2C launch vehicle from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China on October 6, 1992. The satellite total cost was 19 million U.S...

(1992–1996)
Astrid-1
Astrid (satellites)
Astrid-1 and Astrid-2 were two microsatellites designed and developed by Swedish Space Corporation on behalf of the Swedish National Space Board. They were piggyback launched on a Cosmos-3M launch vehicle from Plesetsk, Russia...

(1995)
Odin
Odin (satellite)
Odin is a Swedish satellite working in two disciplines; astrophysics and aeronomy, and it was named after god Odin. Within the field of astrophysics, Odin is used in the study of star formation...

(2001-)

The exception was controlled from SSC's laboratories in Solna outside Stockholm:

Astrid-2
Astrid (satellites)
Astrid-1 and Astrid-2 were two microsatellites designed and developed by Swedish Space Corporation on behalf of the Swedish National Space Board. They were piggyback launched on a Cosmos-3M launch vehicle from Plesetsk, Russia...

(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.

External links

Esrange - Official site
List of stratospheric balloons launched from Esrange
Swedish Space Corporation - Official site

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.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

History

Name

Rocket activities

Balloon activities

Satellite services

Satellite control services

Ground station services

See also

External links

Sources