Andøya Spaceport

Andøya Spaceport is located at Nordmela on the Norwegian island of Andøya and is in the final stages towards operating capability (November 2023). It is the first operational orbital spaceport in continental Europe. Andøya Spaceport is a fully-owned subsidiary by the Norwegian public company Andøya Space. Andøya Space has a long history in providing infrastructure for suborbital launches. Since 1962, around 1,200 launches of sounding rockets and long duration balloons have taken place at Andøya. With Isar Aerospace to perform Spectrum’s first test flight, Andøya Spaceport will become the first operational orbital spaceport in continental Europa. Given its location far north at a coastline, Andøya Spaceport can offer launches to highly retrograde orbit inclinations. These are favorable for sun synchronous as well as polar orbits which the market has a strong demand for as launch sites for these orbits are limited globally. As the global space industry continues to expand, Norway’s Andoya Spaceport stands as a vital asset in the pursuit of scientific exploration and technological advancements.

Fully constructed, Andøya Spaceport will host several launch pads. Isar Aerospace has exclusive access to the first launch site, which was built to Isar's specifications, including a launch pad, payload integration facilities as well as a mission control center. This set-up guarantees greatest flexibility and planning security for Isar Aerospace and its clients in bringing small- and medium-sized satellites to space. The launch site will support the two-stage launch vehicle Spectrum, which is set to carry out final stage testing. Isar Aerospace will offer the first fully privately funded European launch solution to meet the growing demand for transporting small and medium-sized satellites into space. With this spaceport, Norway becomes one of the very few countries capable of launching satellites from its own territory. This opens the door for an entire new ecosystem of stakeholders, generating more job opportunities and fostering innovative thinking.