Andøya Space Center

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Welcome to our in-depth analysis of Andøya Space Center, originally published January 3rd, 2023 and most recently updated October 23rd, 2026 (new facts highlighted in blue). Make sure to check out our mission statement and why we do what we do. Look at our New Space guide if you want explanations of terms and concepts used in our research. And follow us on X for updates.

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October 2026 update: orbit from Andøya

• Reached orbit. Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum reached orbit on 5 September 2026 (22:12 CEST) from Andøya Spaceport on Flight 2 (“Onward and Upward”), and deployed its payloads. Flight 1 on 30 March 2025 cleared the pad and ended in the sea about 30 seconds later.
• One working orbital pad. Pad 1 is operational (completed November 2023) and reserved for Isar Aerospace under a long-term agreement. A second pad is proposed as state-owned infrastructure (about NOK 650 million, first budget tranche NOK 323.3 million in the 2027 proposal) and is not built yet.
• Operator. Andøya Space AS (org.nr 979 122 721) remains 90% Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and 10% Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS. Group 2025 revenue was NOK 411.5 million; net result NOK 60.2 million; 184 årsverk (FTE).
• Bond. Andøya Space AS sold a NOK 300 million (about EUR 27 million) five-year senior unsecured bond through Pareto Securities, as Bloomberg reported on 20 April 2026. According to the company’s unaudited half-year report, it repaid NOK 158 million of debt by 30 June and held NOK 155.5 million in cash.
• Public money vs promise. The state approved up to NOK 365.6 million for the spaceport in 2020 (NOK 282.6 million equity + NOK 83 million grants) and had paid about NOK 266 million of it by October 2026. The 2027 budget proposal moves the unpaid NOK 99.5 million to a state-owned second pad. The 2021 line was a first satellite launch in Q3 2022. The first orbital attempt was March 2025. The first orbit was September 2026.
• Licence. Launch-site permit from 2024 (up to 30 launches per year). Isar received its first Norwegian launch permit on 14 March 2025 for the Flight 1 window.

What you should know about Andøya Space Center (ASC)

Andøya Space Center: Rockets now reach orbit from Europe

The Andøya Space Center is a spaceport for launching rockets in northern Norway. It is a remarkable and historic place that you probably have not heard of. With a history of rocket launches dating back to 1962, it is one of the oldest active launch sites in the world. Its location in northern Norway at a latitude of 69° makes it also among the northernmost launch sites in the world, even further north than the actual Santa Claus village.

On 5 September 2026, Isar Aerospace‘s Spectrum reached orbit from Andøya Spaceport, the first successful orbital launch of a privately developed European launcher from mainland Europe. Flight 1 in March 2025 had cleared the pad and ended in the sea about 30 seconds later. The spaceport still markets orbital-class vehicles with payloads on the order of 1,000–1,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO, where most satellites and the ISS fly), depending on the vehicle. Isar’s public Spectrum figure is about 1,000 kg to LEO.

Andøya Space (ASC) runs sounding and balloon campaigns, defence test ranges, education programmes, and the new orbital harbour, so let’s look at what makes Andøya special and what the documents say about money, pads and cadence.

History and overview of the Andøya Space Center

Andøya Space Center was one of the very first permanent launch facilities in the world. Since 1962, research rockets and scientific balloons have taken off from northern Norway. With customers including NASA, ESA or JAXA, Andøya Space has provided a full service for launch, operations, recovery and ground support for the big names in space.

Originally, Andøya was called “Andøya Rocket Range” (Andøya Rakettskytefelt) and its first launch took place about a year after JFK announced that the US was going to the moon. On August 18, 1962, the Norwegians first sent a Nike Cajun rocket 100 km high into the sky.

In the same years Andøya competed to host the sounding-rocket base of ESRO, one of the two forerunners of ESA. ESRO picked Kiruna in Sweden instead and approved Esrange there in 1964.

Since then, over 1,500 “high altitude” (generally way higher than an airplane, so further than 30 km) research rockets and balloons have been launched from the site. The focus of those rockets was mostly on research, ranging from the weather to the north pole, to military applications and the study of the beautiful northern lights.

Even though Norway is not a member of the EU or the Euro, it has joined the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1987, which brought a boost in activity during the 90s. This included recovery vehicles in 1990 and the ALOMAR lidar facility in 1994. ALOMAR (Arctic Lidar Observatory for Middle Atmosphere Research) doesn’t just beam lasers into the sky (see picture below), but it mostly analyses the atmosphere around the north pole which are used to study the climate.

In 1995, Norway almost accidentally triggered a nuclear war by launching a Black Brant rocket into the northern sky, which Russia mistakenly took for a missile headed for the mainland. In 1997, Andøya added a secondary launch site at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, even further north (79° N). That place is known as the Svalbard Rocket Range.

In 1997, Andøya was also incorporated as a joint stock company, Andøya Space AS, with two shareholders: the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, who still to this day hold 90% of the shares and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, a Norwegian aerospace and defence company with 10%. In 2014, the site was officially renamed Andøya Space Center and in 2018, plans were initiated for an orbital spaceport capable of launching payloads of up to 1,500 kg into low earth orbit (LEO, where most things in space are, such as satellites or the ISS).

Key events and milestones for Andøya Space: A chronology

• In 1962, Andøya Rocket Range was established and the first rocket was launched.
• In 1987, Norway became a full member of the European Space Agency (ESA).
• In 1990, recovery vessels were introduced to retrieve rockets and payloads from the Norwegian sea.
• In 1994, the ALOMAR facility was opened at Andøya (which makes for some amazing photographs).
• In 1995, the Norwegian rocket incident (also known as the Black Brant scare) happened.
• In 1997, Andøya established a secondary, mobile base at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, known as the Svalbard Rocket Range.
• In 2005, Andøya introduced its “Hotel Payload” concept with full-service launch capabilities for scientific rocket launches.
• In 2008, a Black Brant rocket reached the highest altitude ever from Andøya with an altitude of 1,460 km.
• In 2014, the facility was renamed Andøya Space.
• In 2018, plans were initiated for an orbital spaceport capable of launching payloads of up to 1,500 kg into low earth orbit (LEO).
• In 2021, the Norwegian government approved NOK 365.6 million (NOK 282.6 million equity + NOK 83 million grants) for the orbital spaceport.
• Pad 1 was completed in November 2023. Launch-site operations ran from 2024 under a 2024 permit (up to 30 launches per year).
• On 30 March 2025, Isar Aerospace flew Spectrum Flight 1 (“Going Full Spectrum”) from Andøya. The flight ended about 30 seconds after liftoff.
• On 5 September 2026, Spectrum Flight 2 (“Onward and Upward”) reached orbit and deployed payloads, including Norway’s FramSat-1.
• In late September / 1 October 2026, the government proposed about NOK 650 million for a state-owned second pad (not built yet).

Andøya Space goes orbital: Developing a spaceport

Now that we know the history of Andøya Space, let’s look at what changed after 2018. Andøya Space officially started its planning process for an orbital launch site around the time when aerospace startups all over Europe were founded and “NewSpace” started to take off. The Andøya military airfield, one of the economic drivers of the region, shut down as planned around that period.

Andøya has significant experience with research rockets and scientific balloons and even military operations, but those are mostly limited to payloads of a few dozen kilograms. The new spaceport handles orbital launches capable of up to about 1.0–1.5 tons of payload capacity, which is a bit like going from a private airstrip for individuals to an international hub for airlines. That is what Andøya has now built for Pad 1.

The orbital harbour was planned from 2018 and financed in 2021. Construction of support and pad areas ran through 2022–2023. Pad 1 was completed in November 2023. Isar Aerospace holds exclusive long-term access to that pad and has flown twice from it. Rocket Factory Augsburg had an early capacity agreement with Andøya. Its maiden-flight path later moved to SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, so RFA is not treated here as an Andøya orbital flier as of October 2026.

Pad status in October 2026: one operational orbital pad. A second pad is proposed as state-owned infrastructure (~NOK 650 million), to be built by Forsvarsbygg and leased to Andøya Space. Construction has not started. Astrobotic signed a term sheet in August 2025 for reusable Xodiac hop tests. Andøya’s 2025 annual report times those hops from 2027.

Layout and site planning: what the launch site looks like

On the image provided by ASC above, you can see the layout of the Andøya spaceport. In it, you can see the main parts with BN02 as the launch site (where rockets take off) and the two red radiating circles of danger zones for when propellant fuelling starts (that is when things can go wrong because it can blow up more easily, the smaller red circle) and “launch hazard zone” (this is where things go when newer rockets take off, so the circle has a 2 km radius, the bigger red circle). You can also see several other relevant areas:

• BN01 (center), the assembly integration and test building (AIT) with a floor space of roughly 1,000 square meters in total.
• BN02 (center, by the sea), which includes the launch pads. Pad 1 is operational; a second pad is proposed as of October 2026, not built.
• BN03 (top, inside the launch danger zone) acts as a concrete platform with radar and telemetry equipment.
• BN06 (top right, outside the launch danger zone) is the largest compound including the administrative area with a planned floor space on the order of 10,000 square meters in total.

BN04 and BN05 are sites that became obsolete throughout the development process. Initially, it was planned to have a launch pad at sea (BN05), which made for some amazing renderings and would have been quite unique:

Launch pads, vehicle size and public areas

As of October 2026, one orbital pad (Pad 1) is operational and reserved for Isar. A second pad is proposed as state-owned infrastructure. Older planning documents described three pads (A/B/C) with diameters on the order of 60×100 meters for A and 100×150 meters for B and C, launch-tower structures up to about 15 meters, and lightning deflection towers up to about 45 meters.

The 2024 launch-site permit caps the site at up to 30 launches per year. Andøya’s public line after Flight 2 is an ambition of up to 30 satellite launches per year within the next few years. Delivered cadence as of 6 October 2026: two Spectrum flights (one orbit).

Here is an overview of the orbital launch pads as planned in the original layout drawings. Only Pad 1 has been built.

Looking at the security benchmarks done by Andøya, the launch pads were specified to support solid and liquid fueled vehicles with a launch mass of up to 60 tons:

Launch control, administration and public areas: where launch crews work and live

The administrative area on BN06 is the main facility with large floorspace for administration, warehouse and logistics, plus AIT buildings for final rocket assembly, checkup and payload insertion. Buildings AIT1 and AIT2 were the first tranche. AIT3 and AIT4 remain potential expansions.

In collaboration with Andøya Space, NewSpace North (a subsidiary) has planned a visitor center with a shared reception area, accommodation for customers, meeting room facilities, coworking areas and more. Overall, the main area colour key is as follows:

• Pink/Purple: 4x assembly integration and test buildings (AIT) including space for mission and satellite control in each of them
• Yellow: Administrative area with launch control center
• Green: Public facilities including the innovation center and a canteen
• Turquoise: Housing facilities for ground support crew
• Red: Logistics and warehouse

Construction record: Pad 1 from 2022 into service

Construction on BN01 and BN02 officially started in 2022. Satellite images, ASC videos and later flight photos show Pad 1 going from groundworks to an operational orbital pad (completed November 2023), then to Flight 1 (30 March 2025) and Flight 2 (5 September 2026).

ASC also posted several updates through 2022 on LinkedIn and Vimeo:

Funding the orbital spaceport: public money in, promised vs delivered

In June 2020 the Storting approved up to NOK 365.6 million for the spaceport: NOK 282.6 million as state equity and NOK 83 million as regional grants (Prop. 127 S (2019–2020)). The ministry released the money in October 2021, and Kongsberg added a matching NOK 31.4 million for its 10% share. At the time, official communications pointed to a first satellite launch in the third quarter of 2022 and a fully operational base around 2025. The first orbital attempt was 30 March 2025. The first orbit was 5 September 2026.

The money came in steps. The state paid the first NOK 30 million of equity in December 2021 and NOK 180 million in all by 1 September 2024, according to the Storting’s business committee. The last NOK 102.6 million was due once Andøya signed a long-term customer for a second pad, which the government expected in the first half of 2023. In December 2024 the state turned a NOK 29.6 million loan into shares, and the rest was never paid. The 2027 budget proposal moves the unspent NOK 73 million of equity and NOK 26.5 million of unpaid grant to a second pad that the state will build and own.

The defence budget set aside NOK 200 million for 2024 and 2025 to prepare the spaceport for military use (government, January 2025). NOK 150 million of it was for security measures in 2024, according to the trade minister’s written answer of August 2024. In late September 2026 the government proposed about NOK 650 million for a second, state-owned pad, with an initial NOK 323.3 million in the 2027 budget proposal. NOK 99.5 million of that comes from the unpaid 2020 money and NOK 223.8 million from the defence budget. That money is a budget proposal and has not been spent.

Norway also declared EUR 25 million to Isar Aerospace through ESA’s European Launcher Challenge in November 2025, plus EUR 4.8 million not yet assigned to a company, with Andøya’s annual report stating that a significant share is to go into critical systems and infrastructure at Andøya.

Andøya Space AS is not a venture-backed NewSpace company. It is a Category 2 state holding with a Kongsberg minority. The NewSpace risk sits with the tenants, first among them Isar Aerospace.

An orbital launch is also expected to increase tourism in the area. The sight of a rocket launch with the Northern lights shining bright in the background is sure to be an absolute beauty.

Andøya Space AS / group financial overview

Group figures from the signed Årsrapport 2025 (nøkkeltall):

Parent Andøya Space AS 2025 revenue was NOK 178.6 million (2024: 151.8 million) and parent net result was NOK 21.8 million (AGM 17 June 2026). Nordic Credit Rating assigned a BBB- long-term issuer rating on 2 March 2026, and the same grade for senior unsecured bonds. The agency said the rating reflects strong state ownership and that it expects the owners to provide more money if needed.

At the end of 2025 the group’s long-term debt was NOK 516.6 million of bank loans, all secured by pledges (annual report 2025). In April 2026 the company sold a NOK 300 million (about EUR 27 million) five-year senior unsecured bond, with Pareto Securities as manager. According to the company’s unaudited half-year report, it repaid NOK 158 million of debt in the first half of 2026. On 30 June the group held NOK 155.5 million in cash, up from NOK 39.9 million at the start of the year, and NOK 655.8 million of long-term borrowing. The rating agency’s base case had also assumed NOK 81 million of new owner equity in 2026, but share capital had not changed by 30 June.

According to the same unaudited report, group operating income for January to June 2026 was NOK 322.5 million and operating profit NOK 94.8 million, against NOK 170.9 million and NOK 19.0 million a year earlier.

Capital raises done by Andøya Space AS

The future of Andøya Space: cadence, Pad 2 and competition

Pad 1 has flown, so the open questions are cadence, a second pad, and how many paying customers show up besides Isar. Andøya’s own line after Flight 2 was an ambition of up to 30 satellite launches per year within the next few years. The 2024 permit caps the site at 30 launches per year. The 2025 annual report flagged 2026 as a hard year for spaceport ramp-up costs before flight volume catches up. According to the unaudited half-year report, the group made an operating profit of NOK 94.8 million from January to June 2026, five times the figure a year earlier.

While doing our research, we were curious to read about possible recovery operations or whether Andøya will support potential landing sites for reusability. Getting to space for new rocket companies is the primary goal, but without a proper landing site or recovery operations at sea, (partial) reusability is hard. Andøya does not mention that the pads can be used as landing sites, and considering the proximity to populated areas that is probably unlikely. ASC still has a good support infrastructure in place for recovery vessels at sea.

SaxaVord in Shetland and Esrange in Sweden are the nearest European rivals for small launchers. Neither had hosted an orbital launch by October 2026. Space Hub Sutherland in Scotland stopped construction in December 2024 and has no operator. Kourou in French Guiana remains the site for Ariane 6 and Vega C. Portugal licensed Santa Maria Spaceport in the Azores in August 2025, and nothing launched from it has flown higher than 5.6 km. Our 2026 ranking scores the launch companies that could fly from these sites.

It is still an exciting time for European space, and Andøya is the first of the northern European sites with an orbital launch on record.

My opinion on Andøya Space Center and why you should keep an eye on them

What I like about Andøya Space Center

• They flew: Sounding rockets for six decades, then a private orbital attempt in 2025 and an orbit in 2026.
• Geography: 69° N with clear polar and sun-synchronous corridors over the Norwegian Sea matters for small-sat operators.
• Ownership on the register: 90% state / 10% Kongsberg is filed. This is public infrastructure with a commercial launch site added on.

What I don’t like about Andøya Space Center

• Promise vs calendar: Q3 2022 first-satellite language in 2021, first orbit in September 2026. The money came in 2021, and first orbit came four years after the promised date.
• Single-customer concentration: Pad 1 is Isar. NCR said as much in March 2026. One tenant’s bad year is the harbour’s bad year.
• Pad 2 politics: Moving from “build when you have a second customer” to a ~NOK 650 million state-owned pad is a policy choice. Watch whether a second commercial user actually shows up.

Things to watch out for

• Cadence 2026–2027: More Spectrum flights, or a quiet pad.
• Pad 2 money: 2027/2028 budget lines vs steel in the ground.
• Astrobotic hops: Term sheet signed. The annual report says 2027.
• Licence renewal: Aiming for a renewed launch-site permit from 1 January 2027.
• Esrange / SaxaVord: Competing European small-launch geography.

Structured company information on Andøya Space AS

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