Vil bruke 650 millioner på ny rakettrampe på Andøya

In 2027, the Norwegian government is planning to reallocate 323.3 million kroner to build a new rocket launchpad at Andøya Spaceport, according to the state budget. This is set to be followed by a similar allocation of around 650 million kroner in 2028, bringing the total expenditure to approximately 650 million kroner. This information was confirmed by Erlend Skaug Ingebrigtsen, the political advisor to the Minister of Trade and Industry, to E24.

Earlier reports from TV2 and NRK had indicated that the government would invest "significant sums" in the new launchpad. Satellites are becoming increasingly important, both commercially and militarily, but Europe has previously relied on launching from other parts of the world, such as French Guiana and the United States. In 2020, the previous Minister of Trade and Industry, Iselin Nybø, allocated 365 million kroner for Andøya Spaceport.

The state owns 90% of Andøya Space, while Kongsberg Gruppen owns the remaining 10%. Andøya Space and Isar Aerospace have a 20-year agreement for launches, which was signed in 2021. Norway and Germany have strengthened their space cooperation recently, as evidenced by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Andøya earlier this year.

Isar Aerospace, a private company based in Ottobrunn near Munich, has received significant investment from venture capital funds and Porsche. Their first successful launch from Andøya in September 2025 saw the "Spectrum" rocket land in the sea shortly after launch. However, they experienced multiple failures before this achievement.

In early September, NRK reported that Isar is constructing the fifth "Spectrum" rocket, with the company aiming to produce up to 40 rockets annually once a new facility is operational. Isar Aerospace aims to quickly scale up rocket production to meet the growing global demand, according to their director and co-founder, Daniel Metzler.

The United States has been leading the space race in recent decades, with SpaceX spearheading the industry. SpaceX has launched over 12,000 Starlink satellites for internet services from space using its reusable Falcon rocket, and has also earned substantial profits from launching satellites for other nations and companies. In a landmark achievement, SpaceX successfully launched the largest rocket, Starship, into orbit around Earth for the first time in June.

In January, SpaceX made its debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York, marking its most significant stock market debut.