Successful satellite launch: – Norway’s largest space project to date

– Everything has gone well with the launch. It’s a great day, program director Kjell-Ove Skare for the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM) tells NTB.

The satellites sent up will provide satellite-based broadband communication to the Arctic, where there is no broadband communication today, Skare explains.

– It is Norway’s largest space project to date, he says.

The satellites were launched at 04.02 Norwegian time by a rocket in California.

Milestone for Norway

– This is a milestone for Norway. The launch represents our largest space project to date and will be of great benefit to all work being done in the Arctic, says Minister of Business Cecilie Myrseth (Ap) in a press release.

She believes the launch shows the ability of Norwegian space actors to deliver ground-breaking solutions.

– We are very proud of what we have achieved, and look forward to the continuation, says the Minister of Business.

The Norwegian company Space Norway, which is wholly owned by the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, is responsible for the satellites.

Strengthens Norwegian security

The satellites will also provide important communication capacity to the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense wrote in a press release in July. Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) says that this is crucial for cooperation with allies in the north.

– With this, Norway gains control over strategically important communication services in an area that until now has had no broadband coverage. It will strengthen Norwegian security and national control, says Gram.

He expects that Norway will have a more central role in the utilization of outer space in the future.

– Norway’s unique geographical location, our expertise and capacity within the development and launch of satellites, as well as the downloading of satellite data, give Norway comparative advantages in cooperation with the USA, the EU and other allies. When the two Norwegian satellites become operational, Norway will have taken a big step into space, says the Minister of Defence.