SWEDEN/NORWAY: The Esrange Space Centre launched a rocket on Monday, which crashed into a Norwegian mountain range. SSC has apologised and is looking into the matter, but officials from Norway claim that Sweden did not inform them.
The Norwegian foreign ministry did not receive formal notification of a rocket travelling to a height of 250 km (155 miles) and entering zero gravity. The SSC reports that the rocket conducted tests in microgravity to develop more effective solar cells and test the viability of carbon-free fuels. It is important for those responsible to inform the Norwegian authorities through proper channels.
The rocket came down 40 kilometres northwest of its intended landing spot, 15 km within Norwegian territory, in the remote northern region of Malselv. It is a mountain range 10 km away from the nearest settlement and sits at 1,000 metres (3,280 feet). There were no recorded injuries or property damages.
The SSC reports that the cargo, a scientific device, has been recovered in “good condition” and transported back to Esrange by helicopter. The second stage motor and payload of the rocket parachuted onto Norwegian soil while the first stage motor landed near the Esrange base site in Sweden. Marko Kohberg of the Esrange Space Centre takes this deviation seriously and awaits additional details from the ongoing inquiry.
Esrange claims that the procedures for rocket launches were followed and that the military in Norway and Sweden were notified soon after the incident. Local officials in Malselv were informed of the event and received information from the state broadcaster.
Norway’s foreign ministry has not officially announced the landing or recovery of the rocket’s payload. It is important to keep in mind that a rocket and an occurrence like this could cause significant harm due to dangerous substances in the fuel and contamination. Simenstad suggests that the correct procedures should be followed.
The Texus-58 rocket is a component of a European project that the European Space Agency has commissioned.
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