A research rocket from Sweden landed in Norway, about 10 kilometers away from the nearest inhabited area. The rocket malfunctioned and plunged into a mountain range after being launched from the Esrange Space Center. The Swedish Space Corporation apologized and launched a probe into the incident. The SSC said that the rocket reached an altitude of about 250 kilometers and made it into zero gravity. The rocket landed 40 kilometers northwest of the planned landing site, in the Malselv municipality in northern Norway. No injuries or material damage were reported. The payload was recovered and brought back to the Esrange center by helicopter.
The Norwegian foreign ministry expressed its anger over Sweden’s failure to formally notify them about the incident. The Norwegian authorities made it clear that any unauthorized activity within its borders will be taken seriously. The Texus-58 rocket used by the Swedish space scientists is part of a European program commissioned by the European Space Agency.
