Kiruna’s geographical location, north of the Arctic Circle and within the so-called aurora oval, provides very good opportunities for research into the aurora borealis, nocturnal clouds, climate change and space weather. It also attracts Northern Lights tourists from all over the world.
Nowhere else in Europe can world-class space research, space education with breadth and depth, space-related tourism, sounding rocket and stratospheric balloon operations, satellite communications and control and other advanced space and research services be found in one place.
Since 1957, space operations have taken place in Kiruna. In the same year that Sputnik, the first satellite, was launched, space operations were started in Kiruna. Today’s operations are based on over 60 years of experience in space technology and space research.