SWEDEN; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA —Mainland Europe is set to gain dedicated orbital launch capabilities through a multi-mission commercial agreement between US launch provider Firefly Aerospace and Swedish space services company SSC Space. Under the agreement, Firefly will execute two missions using its Alpha small-lift rocket from Launch Complex 3C at Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden, with launches planned no earlier than 2028. SSC Space has reserved the full payload capacity across both flights to serve Swedish national security requirements alongside commercial rideshare customers.
Firefly Aerospace is a Texas-headquartered space and defense company that develops small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital transfer craft. SSC Space, formerly Swedish Space Corporation, is a state-owned provider of ground station services, launch infrastructure, and space engineering, operating major ground sites globally alongside the Esrange launch facility.
This partnership addresses a long-standing structural deficit in European space infrastructure, which has historically relied on non-European launch sites or offshore facilities for orbital insertion. Establishing operational launch infrastructure inside continental Europe enhances European strategic autonomy, reduces geopolitical supply-chain risks for government satellite programs, and offers European defense and civil operators direct access to space under transatlantic regulatory arrangements. The Esrange site has recently completed major ground infrastructure upgrades, including a new launch control center, payload processing facilities, and vehicle integration units.
For commercial satellite operators and defense contractors across the Atlantic alliance, the expansion of launch capacity at high latitudes opens flexible orbital access options, particularly for polar and sun-synchronous orbits favored by Earth observation and reconnaissance payloads. The initiative expands Firefly's global launch footprint while providing European commercial satellite manufacturers with a localized launch platform, lowering transport logistics costs and shortening deployment timelines.
