Category: Corporate

  • A space talk with Rolf Skatteboe

    Rolf Skatteboe is the CEO of Kongsberg Satellite Services and has been a member of Andøya Space’s Board of Directors since the 1990s. After stepping down from the Board, we wanted to talk with him about his experiences with Andøya Space and the Norwegian space industry.

    How did you become involved with the space industry in the first place?

    – I started in the Norwegian Space Agency working with the technical infrastructure of the Norwegian space sector, Skatteboe says.

    He was tasked with obtaining an overview of the equipment and possibilities of the budding Norwegian space industry, and how it could be developed in cooperation with the European Space Agency, which Norway became a member of in 1986.

    – This necessitated working closely together with the Director of Andøya Space at the time, Kolbjørn Adolfsen, Skatteboe says.

    In the 1990s Skatteboe became the Norwegian Space Agency’s representative in the Board of Directors.

    What are the main differences between now and then at Andøya Space and in the Norwegian space industry in general?

    – Back then Andøya Space was named Andøya Rocket Range and was a foundation. Their main activities were launching sounding rockets for scientific purposes, says Skatteboe.

    Over time, Andøya Rocket Range became a commercial company and additional activities were included on-site. Among these were the space education organization, Andøya Space Education, and the test range for defense missiles and aircraft, Andøya Space Defence.

    – Since then, the Norwegian space industry has become larger and active in more space-related fields. This is partly due to an increased and society-wide use of satellite data, says Skatteboe.

    – Nevertheless, launching sounding rockets has remained important for scientific research, and will continue to be important for basic research in the future, Skatteboe says.

    What have been some of the most significant decisions in your time on the Board?

    – One of the most important decisions was to expand Andøya Space’s launch capabilities of sounding rockets to Svalbard, with the first launch in 1997. The other most important decision was to build a launch base for lofting small satellites into orbit, Skatteboe says.

    The latter was an idea that he and others worked on from the late 1990s, and which will continue to affect Andøya Space in the years ahead.

    What advantages does the Norwegian space industry have, and how can we best use these?

    – Due to Norway’s geographical location, we have a great advantage when it comes to launching satellites and other spacecraft into polar orbits, and communicating with them in these orbits, Skatteboe says.

    The other great advantage Norway has is an entire value chain from developing satellites and spacecraft, to launching them and downlinking their information, to utilizing them for downstream products and services.

    – The great possibilities for and potential in developing this national value chain for space is unique for a small country such as Norway, Skatteboe says.

    How do you think the Norwegian and European space industry will develop in the next five years?

    – Launching sounding rockets for scientific purposes has always been the core activity at Andøya Space and will continue to be an important activity for years ahead, but in larger and more comprehensive programs, says Skatteboe.

    – However, commercial activity will become the most important for Andøya Space. Both satellite launches and technology testing will see significant growth, he says.

    When it comes to other types of space activities, Skatteboe regards the potential for development to be very large, in a rapidly growing international market. Both in the development and launching of satellites, but also in creating products and services from satellite data, and from space science in general.

    Do you have any advice for the remaining Board of Directors?

    – I would remind them to keep considering the customers and to remain open for the commercial possibilities in the growing space market, Skatteboe says.

    What will you be doing after you leave the Board?

    – I will continue to develop Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT), hopefully in close cooperation with Andøya Space and their launch capability for small satellites, Skatteboe says.

    – The journey from Andøya Space being a small launch site with short chains of decision and mainly informal processes, to a company with the size and significance it has now, has been very interesting. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to have been part of this journey, Skatteboe concludes.

    Photo of Rolf Skatteboe from KSAT: Marius Fiskum

    More information?

    Please send us an email with your questions.

    Send email

    •

    Stine-Marie Andreassen

    •

    ,

  • Framsat-1 shake test

    Ref: https://andoyaspace.no/articles/framsat-1-shake-test-at-andoya-space

    Before a satellite is ready for launch it is thoroughly tested to make sure it can withstand both the rocket’s intense shaking and vibrations during launch, as well as the harsh environment of space.

    The first satellites to be launched from Andøya Spaceport will be several CubeSats from five institutions in Germany, Slovenia and Norway. These nanosatellites, measuring only 10 x 10 x 10 centimeters and weighing less than two kilos each, will be launched from Andøya Spaceport by Isar Aerospace’s rocket “Spectrum”.

    One of these CubeSats is FramSat-1, built by members of the student organization Orbit NTNU at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

    FramSat-1 will test an experimental sun sensor developed for satellites and sounding rockets. Such sensors measure the sun’s position relative to the satellite, to determine the satellite’s attitude in space

    The sun sensor on FramSat-1 has been delivered by the Norwegian space company Eidsvoll Electronics (EIDEL). Other organizations which contribute to the FramSat-1 mission are Andøya Space Sub-Orbital, Andøya Space Education, Institute for electronic systems at NTNU, the Norwegian Space Agency, Kongsberg Group and Inission.

    An important milestone

    Like all satellites and spacecraft, the student CubeSats must pass several tests demonstrating that they can withstand the intense shaking and vibrations during launch as well as the harsh environment of space.

    Andøya Space is the facility for FramSat-1’s shake test.

    – This is an important milestone in the development of all satellites, says Mathias Askeland, project manager for FramSat in Orbit NTNU.

    FramSat-1 was taken through vibration tests at several different frequencies to check that the results are within the specifications from Isar Aerospace. The resonance frequency of the satellite will also be detected.

    – In addition, we will test functionality at every axis to ensure that all subsystems onboard still work as intended, says Askeland.

    Making connections with the space industry

    – Everyone working on FramSat-1 have made a maximum effort these last months. We are very relieved that the satellite is ready and that we have solved all the challenges which arose during development, Askeland says.

    After the shake test at Andøya, the three students participating in the test will bring FramSat-1 with them back to Trondheim.

    The students at Orbit NTNU are developing another satellite identical to FramSat-1, to be launched later.

    – It’s been a pleasure to work with our FramSat-1 partners and develop strong connections with the Norwegian and international space industry, Askeland says.

    Environmental testing at Andøya Space

    Andøya Space has developed an environmental testing facility for qualifying sounding rocket payloads.

    – Here we have equipment for performing spin-balancing, spin-deploy, bend-down and vacuum testing, in addition to the vibration table used for testing Framsat-1, says Geir Lindahl, Chief Engineer at Andøya Space Sub-Orbital.

    – With the rapid growth of the satellite market and the construction of our new launch base, we also intend to adapt our test facilities to be able to support more satellite customers, says Lindahl.

    Space Education 2.0

    Framsat-1 is a pilot project in Space Education 2.0, an initiative which aims to use the new educational possibilities which have opened due to the creation of Andøya Spaceport.

    – We aim to increase the utilization of the infrastructure here at Andøya Space for both Norwegian and international universities, says Jøran Grande, project manager at Andøya Space Education.

    This infrastructure includes the new launch facilities for small satellites, as well as the launch base for sounding rockets, Alomar – a laboratory for atmospheric science at Andøya Space.

    Mer informasjon

    Kontakt Andøya Space Sub-Orbital for ytterligere informasjon og spørsmål.

    Send en e-post
    Les mer om Andøya Space Sub-Orbital

    •

    Trond Abrahamsen

    •

    , , , ,

  • Andøya Space møtte Nordlandsbenken i Stortinget

    Andøya Space var sammen med flere andre nordnorske bedrifter på Stortinget for å gi representanter fra Nordlandsbenken innsikt i noe av det spennende som skjer i Nordland.

    I midten av februar var Andøya Space på besøk på Stortinget, sammen med flere andre nordnorske bedrifter, for å gi noen av representantene for Nordlandsbenken mer informasjon om noe av det spennende som skjer i Nordland for tiden.

    Viktige møter

    Andøya Space var representert ved konsernsjef Ketil Olsen, samfunns- og myndighetskontakt Arne Hjalmar Hansen og prosjektleder for Space Education 2.0 Jøran Grande. I tillegg representerte ordfører Knut Nordmo Andøy kommune.

    – I møtet presenterte vi Andøya Space og status for viktige utviklingsprosjekter, sier Arne Hjalmar. – Vi adresserte også noen konkrete muligheter og utfordringer framover, spesielt knyttet til romhavnen og Norwegian Space Academy.

    – Vi fikk svært god tilbakemelding på det vi presenterte, Nordlandsrepresentantene var tydelig på at slike møter og oppdateringer er viktige for dem i deres arbeid med å følge opp. Også med tanke på muligheter og utfordringer knyttet til Andøya Space, avslutter Arne Hjalmar.

    Nordlandsrepresentantene Arbeiderpartiet, SV, Senterpartiet og Høyre fulgte med stor interesse konsernsjef Ketil Olsen sin presentasjon, sammen med Arne Hjalmar Hansen, Jøran Grande, og ordfører for Andøy kommune, Knut Nordmo (Foto: Stortinget)

    Mer informasjon?

    Ta kontakt med samfunns- og myndighetskontakt Arne Hjalmar Hansen

    Send e-post

    •

    Stine-Marie Andreassen

    •

    ,

  • Andøya Space samarbeider tett med universitetene

    Året 2022 ble samarbeidsavtalenes år for Andøya Space. I løpet av året signerte vi nye samarbeidsavtaler med både UiT Norges arktiske universitet, Universitetet i Oslo og Nord universitet.

    Fra før har Andøya Space samarbeidsavtaler med både Universitetet i Bergen og NTNU. Formålet med avtalene er å samarbeide om forskning, utdanning og næringsutøvelse, som blant annet å bidra til å styrke utdanningstilbudene ved universitetene på relevante fagområder. For eksempel innenfor matematiske, naturvitenskapelige og teknologiske fag, samt lærerutdanninger.

    Avtalen skal også medvirke til å styrke hverandres faglige virksomhet gjennom felles forsknings- og utviklingsprosjekter, samt samarbeid om anskaffelser av felles utstyr og infrastruktur der dette er formålstjenlig.

    Høsten 2022 ble det etablert nye samarbeidsutvalg med UiT Norges arktiske universitet, Universitetet i Oslo og Nord universitet, der en også har definert konkrete samarbeidsaktiviteter som omfatter alle konsernets divisjoner. Aktivitetene ble satt i gang fortløpende og mange av aktivitetene er med inn i det nye året. I tillegg ble det gjennomført samarbeidsmøte med NTNU, hvor flere nye aktiviteter er på gang.

    Samarbeidsutvalget for Nord universitet og Andøya Space ble konstituert i Bodø, med representanter fra hele konsernet og relevante fakulteter ved universitetet.

    – Samarbeidet med universitetene er viktig og nødvending for Andøya Space, sier samfunns- og myndighetskontakt Arne Hjalmar Hansen, som er konsernets kontaktperson overfor universitetssektoren. – Spesielt viktig er det for de områdene i konsernet som har sektorpolitiske mål, og der det forventes samarbeid på ulike måter både innenfor forskning og utdanning, avslutter Hansen.

    Mer informasjon?

    Kontakt Samfunns- og myndighetskontakt Arne Hjalmar Hansen.

    Send e-post

    •

    Stine-Marie Andreassen

    •

    ,

  • Mulighetsseminar på Andøya Space

    Andøya Space og SAMSKAP arrangerer mulighetsseminar på Andøya Space mandag 7. november 2022.

    Norsk romvirksomhet er en betydelig næring og har et stort potensial for videre vekst og utvikling. Stortinget har i flere stortingsmeldinger gitt klare føringer på økt satsing på romvirksomhet i årene framover. Også Hurdal-plattformen gir tydelige politiske føringer og forventninger om økt satsing på Norge som romnasjon, og Nordland fylkeskommune og Andøy kommune/SAMSKAP har space som prioritert område i sitt nærings- og utviklingsarbeid.

    Etableringen av Andøya Spaceport er et taktskifte i utviklingen av norsk romindustri. Etableringen gir mange nye muligheter for norske og internasjonale selskaper til å ta i bruk verdensrommet innenfor mange nye anvendelsesområder. Satellittbasen vil ha stor betydning for utdanning, forskning, innovasjon og oppbygging av industriell kapasitet i Norge.

    I tillegg til etableringen av satellittbasen, er SAMSKAP og Andøya Space opptatt av å presentere utviklingsmuligheter også i flere av de øvrige virksomhetsområdene i Andøya Space, – og som vil kunne gi betydelige ringvirkninger for Andøy-samfunnet, Vesterålen og Nordland.

    Seminaret samler ca 50 inviterte deltakere fra bl.a. Andøy kommune, Innovasjon Norge og Nordland fylkeskommune.

    Mer informasjon

    Ta kontakt med Samfunns- og myndighetskontakt Arne Hjalmar Hansen for mer informasjon om seminaret

    Send email

    •

    Stine-Marie Andreassen

    •

    , ,

  • Anne Horsrud new president of Andøya Space Education

    Anne Margrethe Horsrud is the new president of Andøya Space Education. She takes over after Arne Hjalmar Hanssen who has led the subsidiary for more than 20 years.

    From October 1st, Anne Margrethe Horsrud is the new president of Andøya Space Education. Anne comes from the position as principal in junior high school and has over 25 years of experience from various positions in primary, lower secondary, and junior high school, the last 16 years as principal.

    – We are very pleased that Anne is joining the Andøya Space team. She is an experienced leader with a valuable background from the school system, says Ketil Olsen, CEO of Andøya Space.

    Passionate about teaching

    Anne is excited about being a part of Andøya Space. She is passionate about teaching and help create the foundation for good learning experiences.

    – I am looking forward to new challenges at Andøya Space, where I can use my knowledge and experience in a new setting, says the new president. – Andøya Space Education is doing a very important job with space education programs and activities, and I am very excited to work with all the competent staff at Andøya.

    The former president of Andøya Space Education, Arne Hjalmar Hanssen, has led Andøya Space Education for over 20 years and is now stepping down to work in a new position as Senior Advisor for public and political affairs.

    About Andøya Space Education

    Andøya Space Education is a fully owned subsidiary and represents the educational part of Andøya Space. Andøya Space Education provides courses, seminars and activities within space-related subjects for kindergartens, schools and universities, and aims to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers from all over the world.

    More information

    Please contact Andøya Space Education

    Send email

    •

    Stine-Marie Andreassen

    •

    , ,

  • Signerte avtale med Nord Universitet

    En ny og overordnet samarbeidsavtale er nå på plass mellom Andøya Space og Nord Universitet.

    Denne uken har både representanter fra Nord universitet, Newspace North, Nordland fylkeskommune og Andøy kommune vært på besøk hos Andøya Space i anledning signering av en samarbeidsavtale mellom Andøya Space og Nord universitet.

    –  Education har allerede hatt en samarbeidsavtale i mange år med lærerutdanningen ved Nord universitet. Det har vært jobbet med å løfte avtalen til øverste nivå hos begge parter, sånn at alle forretningsområder hos Andøya Space og fakulteter hos Nord universitet kan nyte godt av avtalen, forteller Arne Hjalmar Hansen, som har ledet arbeidet fra Andøya Space sin side.

    Tre samarbeidsområder 

    Det er foreløpig etablert tre samarbeidsområder som skal utvikles videre i samarbeidet:
    Education skal ta opp igjen samarbeidet med prosjekter innenfor lærerutdanningen, Andøya Spaceport skal samarbeide med Handelshøgskolen, hvor også Newspace North er en aktør. I tillegg har en som mål å etablere samarbeidsaktiviteter om bruk av droner i sikkerhet og beredskap, forskning og undervisning.

    Bilde av Ketil Olsen og Hanne Hansen som signerer avtale på vegne av henholdsvis Andøya Space og Nord Universitet
    Ketil Olsen og Hanne Hansen signerer avtalen på vegne av henholdsvis Andøya Space og Nord Universitet

    Samarbeidsutvalg 

    For å få best mulig utnyttelse av avtalen skal det etableres et samarbeidsutvalg, med inntil fire representanter fra hver part, for å drøfte saker av felles interesse og utvikle et godt samarbeid.
    Det vil også bli mulighet for utplassering av studenter i internship, både innenfor bachelor og master, og samarbeid om potensiale for oppgaveskriving basert på problemstillinger fra Andøya Space.

    – Vi er glade for at avtalen er på plass sånn at vi kan gå i gang med mange av de spennende prosjektene som er på planen fremover, avslutter Arne Hjalmar.

    Mer informasjon

    Kontakt daglig leder for Andøya Space Education, Arne Hjalmar Hansen.

    Send email

    •

    Trond Abrahamsen

    •

    ,

  • Mottok pris for masteroppgave om romsøppel

    Rannveig Marie Færgestad mottok den norske NIFRO-prisen 2022 for sin masteroppgave om beskyttende skjold mot romsøppel.

    – Romsøppelproblematikken vil etter alt å dømme bare bli viktigere i årene som kommer, forteller Færgestad. Denne uken mottok hun den gjeve NIFRO-prisen, rombransjens årlige pris for beste masteroppgave innen romteknologi og romvirksomhet.

    – For romstasjoner har skjold og beskyttelse mot romsøppel vært viktig kunnskap i flere tiår, men for de mindre satellittene har det ikke vært økonomisk gunstig å beskytte mot små fragmenter av romsøppel, forklarer prisvinneren. – I fremtiden er dette noe som flere og flere satellittaktører er nødt til å ta stilling til.

    Beskyttelsesskjold for romfartøy

    Nettopp her kommer vinneroppgaven «Modellering og simulering av støt i ekstreme hastigheter mot beskyttelsesskjold for romfartøy» inn i bildet. Det er få laboratorier som tilbyr kollisjonstesting i så høye hastigheter, og numeriske simuleringer utgjør et langt rimeligere og mer reelt alternativ for mange aktører.

    Ved hjelp av avansert numerisk analyse har Færgestad modellert skader på romfartøy i møte med søppel i bane. Dette vil være et sentralt verktøy i utvikling og design av beskyttelsesskjold for romfartøy, og hun får skryt fra juryen for oppgavens nytteverdi:

    – Årets vinner av NIFRO-prisen presenterer i sin oppgave en nyttig tilnærming til modellering av kollisjoner for å sørge for at romfartøyene til internasjonale og norske romaktører tåler potensielle kollisjoner og bidrar til en bærekraftig fremtid i lav jordbane, skriver de i sin begrunnelse.

    Sylskarp konkurranse

    Til tross for sylskarp konkurranse og flere aktuelle prisvinnere, var det en enstemmig jury som pekte ut NTNU-studenten sin oppgave blant 13 innkomne masteroppgaver.

    – Tildelingen betyr absolutt mye, sier Færgestad. – Jeg har kjent til prisen siden første klasse på universitetet, og det er motiverende å vite gjennom studietiden at gode oppgaver blir verdsatt og er av interesse for romindustrien.

    Prisen har siden 2013 blitt delt ut årlig av Andøya Space Education og Norsk industriforum for romvirksomhet (NIFRO). I tillegg til heder og ære, er prisen på 20 000 kroner.

    – Andøya Space har faktisk en stor del av æren for at jeg bestemte meg for å satse på en karriere i romfartssektoren, meddeler prisvinneren, som allerede er i gang med en doktorgrad innen samme tema. – På videregående fikk jeg delta på European Space Camp, der jeg virkelig fikk åpnet øynene for alle mulighetene som fantes. Jeg er takknemlig for at det finnes så gode tilbud for å få unge involvert i romsektoren i Norge.

    Juryen har bestått av:

    • Jøran Grande, Andøya Space Education 
    • Grunde Joheim, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
    • Vendela Paxal, professor II ved NTNU

    Juryens begrunnelse:

    Romsøppel er en økende trussel for nåværende og fremtidige romfartøy i lav jordbane.  Det vil være behov for å møte denne trusselen for å sikre fremtidig utforskning av verdensrommet. Her kan beskyttende skjold være vesentlig bidragsyter.

    Eksperimentelle støt i ekstreme hastigheter er kostbare og kan kun gjennomføres i noen få laboratorier i verden, som gjør at numeriske simuleringer er sentrale verktøy i utvikling og design av beskyttelsesskjold.

    Et økende fokus på bærekraft for romfartsaktører de siste årene gir et større felles ansvar for å sørge for at kollisjoner med romsøppel ikke gjør kritisk skade på romfartøy og at eventuelle kollisjoner skaper færrest mulig nye fragmenter.

    Årets vinner av NIFRO-prisen presenterer i sin oppgave en nyttig tilnærming til modellering av kollisjoner for å sørge for at romfartøyene til internasjonale og norske romaktører tåler potensielle kollisjoner og bidrar til en bærekraftig fremtid i lav jordbane.

    Kandidaten har jobbet med en kompleks oppgave, med matematisk modellering, simulering og bearbeiding av resultater. Oppgaven krever at kandidaten evner å omsette fysikkunnskap til modeller og sammenligning av eksperimentelle data. Problemstillinger blir diskutert på et meget avansert nivå.

    Mer informasjon

    Les mer om NIFRO-prisen på NIFRO sine nettsider.

    NIFRO-prisen

    •

    Tuva

    •

    , ,

  • Ketil Olsen is the new CEO for Andøya Space

    The board of Andøya Space has, after a thorough process, decided to appoint acting CEO Ketil Olsen to the position on a permanent basis.

    CEO of Andøya Space, Ketil Olsen.
    Ketil Olsen is now the CEO of Andøya Space

    When former CEO Odd Roger Enoksen was appointed Minister of Defense in October 2021, the then Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Andøya Space, Ketil Olsen, stepped into the role of acting CEO at short notice. The vacant position was advertised at the same time, and after a thorough process, the board has now decided to hire Olsen permanently in the position.

    – We are very pleased to announce that Ketil Olsen has agreed to continue at the helm of Andøya Space on a permanent basis, says Rasmus Sunde, chairman of the group. – We have carried out a structured and comprehensive process where several external applicants have also been considered, but concluded that Olsen is the best candidate.

    Sunde highlights both Olsen’s previous management experiences both nationally and internationally as well as the intimate knowledge of Andøya Space as a reason why the choice fell on him.

    – Olsen is an experienced leader and can point to good results both in previous positions and from his time in Andøya Space, Sunde explains. – The position requires solid abilities for communication, cooperation and the ability to keep a cool head under pressure when we are now one of the first in Europe to establish a launch base for small satellites and further develop our other business areas. We are confident that Ketil has the qualities needed to meet the company’s challenges and that he, together with the rest of the organization, will deliver the results the board expects.

    About Andøya Space

    Andøya Space is a Norwegian aerospace company. The company enable scientists to explore the atmosphere using rockets, balloons, unmanned aerial vehicles and advanced ground-based instruments. The company also enable aerospace and defence engineers to test out new technologies. Andøya Space educates and inspires the next generation of researchers and engineers, and is now working to establish a European launch base for small satellites in Norway.

    More information

    Contact Andøya Space

    Send email

    •

    Trond Abrahamsen

    •

    , ,

  • Andøya Space appoints Tore Østby as new CFO

    Andøya Space strengthens its executive team by selecting Tore Østby as the chief financial officer.

    Tore brings extensive leadership and strategic experience from a variety of industries to Andøya Space, says CEO Ketil Olsen. – We look forward to him joining the executive team at Andøya in these exciting times as we grow our business in several areas. A confident and experienced management team with the right mindset is vital for Andøya Space to succeed in the years ahead.

    CFO of Andøya Space, Tore Østby

    Mr. Østby has previously held positions within Norwegian Air Shuttle, Nordea Markets, Handelsbanken and Orkla, primarily working in the finance sector for the past thirty years. At Norwegian Air Shuttle he held positions such as acting CFO and executive vice president for strategic development.

    He is a certified European Financial Analyst from the NHH Norwegian School of Economics, and he also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Norwegian Business School BI.

    In his new role he will be reporting to CEO Ketil Olsen.

    -I am looking forward to join Andøya Space and be part of the team to develop one of the leading European spaceports and to strengthen Norway as an important space nation. I am very excited to meet all my news colleagues and contribute to building on the great history at Andøya Space, says Tore Østby

    He will join the company January 1st, 2022.

    About Andøya Space

    Andøya Space provides services to science and engineering communities worldwide and enables customers to safely test, launch, fly, research, gain new knowledge, and to create new technologies that benefits our society. Andøya Space has almost 60 years of experience in the development of payloads and sensor technologies for sounding rockets, ground-based instrumentation, unmanned aircraft and is in the process of establishing a launch site for small satellites at Andøya.

    •

    Trond Abrahamsen

    •

    , ,

  • Ketil Olsen steps up as interim CEO for Andøya Space

    The board of Andøya Space has appointed Ketil Olsen as interim CEO of Andøya Space. He has worked as Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2020, and starts in the new role immediately today, October 14th, 2021.

    Olsen will succeed Odd-Roger Enoksen, who has agreed to become Minister of Defence in the new Norwegian government.

    Experienced leader

    – Olsen is an experienced leader with good results from various positions in the Norwegian Department of Defence and defence staff, as well as international positions in NATO. Olsen has led tactical as well as operational and strategical military units. With experience from international service and spending almost ten years in NATO, he has gained a large network and is well familiar with the challenges and benefits of working with other nationalities, says chairman Rasmus Sunde.

    The board is very pleased that Olsen’s long and solid experience will benefit Andøya Space immediately. The company strategy stays the same as Andøya Space enters a challenging yet exciting period: Last week the company received the final ‘GO’ from the government to build a launch site for small satellites on Andøya.

    – Enoksen has had a clear vision and strategy for Andøya Space, and the investment into space, for many years, which has provided great results. The company has delivered profitable growth under the leadership of Enoksen, while at the same time successfully secured its sectorial-policy objectives. The company is well positioned to further develop this through its competent employees. The board wants to thank Odd Roger for the cooperation and his effort for the company throughout the years, and to wish him the best of luck as a minister, says chairman Sunde.

    Business as usual

    – Our focus on space will continue with local, regional, and national investment together with international actors. We will follow up on the expectations and goals put forward by the Norwegian government in the best way possible. Together we will establish and run a spaceport at the same time as we continue our work within sounding rockets, drones, space education, and test center activities, Olsen concludes.

    The Board of Director will immediately start the process of appointing a permanent CEO.

    More information

    Contact Andøya Space

    Send e-mail

    •

    Tuva

    •

    , ,

  • Andøya Space lanserer SMS-tjeneste

    Ønsker du å få melding på SMS når veien gjennom Oksebåsen stenger eller fareområdene i sjøen utenfor Andøya Space aktiveres? Det får du nå muligheten til.

    Andøya Space lanserer denne uken to ulike tjenester for varsling på SMS: Den ene gir deg beskjed på SMS hver gang veien i Oksebåsen eller Børvågen av sikkerhetsmessige årsaker må stenges. Den andre varsler deg om aktivering av fareområder sjø.

    – Både fiskere og andre har etterspurt SMS-varsling, så dette tror vi vil bli tatt godt imot, sier Ketil Olsen, administrerende direktør ved Andøya Space. – Men hvis du er ute etter siste nytt om hva som skjer hos oss, må du se på våre nettsider og sosiale medier. SMS-tjenestene vil kun gi deg informasjon om fareområder.

    Bruk av tjenesten

    Varslingstjenesten er delt opp i to ulike abonnement: Én med informasjon om stenging av vei, og én med informasjon om fareområder sjø. Ønsker du informasjon om begge deler, må du melde deg på begge tjenestene.

    Det er gratis å motta meldinger, og Andøya Space vil varsle abonnenter på tjenesten både noen dager i forkant og når fareområdene aktiveres. I tillegg vil det bli sendt ut beskjed dersom en aktivitet er utsatt eller avlyst, og det igjen er trygt å ferdes i området.

    For å få varsler som gjelder stenging av vei, sender du en SMS med:

    SJØ:
    Send kodeord «ANDOYASPACE SJO START» til 27222 for påmelding.
    Send kodeord «ANDOYASPACE SJO STOPP» til 27222 for avmelding.

    VEI:
    Send kodeord «ANDOYASPACE VEI START» til 27222 for påmelding.
    Send kodeord «ANDOYASPACE VEI STOPP» til 27222 for avmelding.

    Mer informasjon

    Kontakt Andøya Space.

    Send e-post

    Artikkelen ble oppdatert med nye kodeord for SMS-varsling 17. september 2024.

    •

    Tuva

    •

    , ,

  • Isar Aerospace signs exclusive launch pad in Norway for up to 20 years

    The first fully privately-financed European launch vehicle bringing satellites into low Earth orbit, Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket, will launch from Norway: Isar Aerospace has signed an agreement with Norwegian Andøya Space to secure exclusive access for a period of up to twenty years to one of its launch pads on the island Andøya.

    As a launch site operator, Andøya Space provides launch pads, payload integration facilities as well as the technical infrastructure on site.

    Illustration of the future orbital launch site at Andøya
    The future orbital launch site at Andøya

    – We are very happy and proud that we were able to secure our dedicated launch pad on Andøya, the best funded spaceport in continental Europe. The length and the exclusive nature of this agreement enables us to provide long-term turnkey launch solutions from European soil, says Daniel Metzler, CEO of Isar Aerospace. – The exclusivity provides us and, even more importantly, our clients with the greatest flexibility and planning security to bring small and medium satellites into earth’s orbit at any time with maximum flexibility and cost-efficiency.

    Given its location far north at a coastline, Andøya Space can offer launch inclinations ranging from 87.4 to 108 degrees. These are favorable for sun synchronous as well as polar orbits. The flightpath ensures a trajectory whose ground track does not cross populated areas.

    – This partnership is a big milestone for the European New Space industry as we will see the first satellite launches ever from a European start-up from European soil. We believe this is just the beginning of delivering on a global demand for launch capacities in Europe. It is with pleasure that we announce our partnership with Isar Aerospace which for us is expected to be one of the winners in this market in the coming years. We strongly believe in joint European initiatives and are proud to be part of this great space endeavor with Isar Aerospace, says Odd Roger Enoksen, CEO and President of Andøya Space.

    Andøya Space has a long history in the suborbital launch business. Since the first launch of a civilian, suborbital research rocket in 1962, around 1.200 launches of sounding rockets and long duration balloons have taken place at Andøya. The company is now in the process of establishing a new launch site on Andøya island for small and medium satellites for polar and sun-synchronous orbits.

    Image of nature on Andøya and Isar Aerospace's rocket, Spectrum

    Isar Aerospace has been developing its Spectrum launch vehicle with a payload of over 1.000 kilograms including proprietary propulsion systems. With a pragmatic engineering approach, highly automated in-house manufacturing and a simple design, Isar Aerospace will reduce the costs of each rocket launch drastically. The founder-led company ensured that almost the entire value creation is carried out in-house for maximum flexibility. The total funding amounting to more than USD 100m stems almost exclusively from European investors.

    About Isar Aerospace

    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. The company was founded in 2018 by Daniel Metzler, Josef Fleischmann and Markus Brandl. Since then, it has grown to more than 120 employees from around 30 nations with many years of hands-on rocket knowhow as well as experience within other high-tech industries. The company is privately financed by former SpaceX VP Bulent Altan as well as world-leading Venture Capital firms including Airbus Ventures, Apeiron, Earlybird, HV Capital, Lakestar, UVC Partners and Vsquared Ventures.

    Find more information under: https://www.isaraerospace.com

    About Andøya Space

    Andøya Space has provided launch services for sounding rockets since 1962. The company is also involved in scientific ground-based instrumentation, unmanned aircraft, space education and testing/verification of new technologies. Andøya Space is from 2022 expanding its portfolio to include a launch site for small satellites. Andøya Space AS is 90% owned by The Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Fisheries.

    More information

    Do you have questions about the Norwegian spaceport?

    Send e-mail

    •

    Trond Abrahamsen

    •

    , , ,

  • New names: Andøya Space Education and Andøya Space Defence

    To clarify who we are and what we do, we are renaming the subsidiaries NAROM and Andøya Test Center (ATC). The new names Andøya Space Education and Andøya Space Defence highlights their areas of expertise and their connection to the Andøya Space brand.

    Andøya Space Education

    Andøya Space Education represents the educational part of Andøya Space. Thousands of people are every year inspired by the educational programs we offer, and our visitor center attracts both space-interested pupils as well as tourists.

    Formerly known as NAROM, Andøya Space Education was established twenty years ago to increase recruitment to science, technology and Norwegian space activities. Although the name has been changed, we will continue as a national center to inspire and educate the next generation of scientists and engineers with mandate and funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.

    Andøya Space Defence

    In 1997 a test center was established in connection to the sounding rocket launch site at Andøya. The area surrounding the island, and the already established technical infrastructure, enables Andøya Space Defence to perform complex tests of weapon systems.

    Andøya Space Defence will continue to offer a state-of-the-art civilian test range for military capabilities.

    The brand

    Andøya Space is leading in its field both when it comes to testing, drones, sounding rockets and space-related education. Our logo is a stamp of quality, and we will continue to deliver quality services within technology, testing and knowledge in many years to come.

    Mer informasjon

    Kontakt Andøya Space.

    Send e-post

    •

    Trond Abrahamsen

    •

    , , , ,

  • The story behind our new logo

    Our new logo is a stamp of quality, unity and a leading star in the space industry. But it is also so much more. Take a look behind the scenes to explore the story behind our brand new logo.

    Illustration of the story behind our new logo

    What do you see when you look at our new logo?

    At Andøya Space, we have six decades of experience in the sounding rocket business. Over the years we have taken on yet new ventures: Testing, drones, education and satellites.

    To clarify who we are and what we do, we are currently in the process of streamlining our entire organization under the brand Andøya Space. As a part of this we have developed a new visual identity for the company, highlighting our common identity of collaboration, quality and innovation.

    Together, we enable scientists, students and engineers to achieve mission success and move our world forward.

    A sign of collaboration

    According to the team behind the logo, the symbol encompasses several subjects:

    – The logo symbol is a quality stamp and a guiding star, as Andøya Space is a leading aerospace company, explains Roar Sager, creative leader and designer at Bold Scandinavia. – But what really distinguish Andøya Space from its competitors is the collaboration. Here, customers and employees lift each other to reach the stars.

    The circular shape of the logo symbol can be viewed as a circle of collaboration, but the design is also inspired by space, natural forces and our key fields of operation.

    Photo of Andøya Space employees looking at computer screen and working while smiling

    Innovation and exploration

    At Andøya, we look up and beyond. The duality of the logo signifies both day & night as well as earth & space. It could be a star or our earth all together, but more importantly the symbol can be seen as our horizon with stars, satellites and rockets flying above it. Or maybe it is northern lights up there?

    Humans have always been captivated by the beautiful aurora seen in the two polar regions of Earth. Since our first sounding rocket launch in 1962, we have enabled scientists to study the northern lights from within. Due to our long and proud history involved with this research, it was natural to pick the green color of the aurora borealis as a leading color in our new profile.

    New technologies

    Our new logo highlights both the research and development of technology that finds place at Andøya.

    We provide the means to fly, launch, test, research, educate and inspire. Whereas the three independent dots may symbolize our rockets, drones or satellites flying above the earth, the lower part of the logo symbol represents both lift off, a data scan and collection of data.

    To some, it may also represent our different fields of operation – testing, space and education – as well as the roads leading you there.

    Our new logo is a stamp of quality. It is a leading star and a symbol of collaboration and reaching for the stars with uncompromising quality and safety. These are values that lay at the core of Andøya Space.

    •

    Trond Abrahamsen

    •

    ,