Today: 50th anniversary of the nauguration of Europe’s sounding rocket range at Kiruna, Sweden.
Fifty years ago this weekend, on 24 September 1966, the Esrange sounding rocket range and research centre was inaugurated. Located outside the town of Kiruna in northern Sweden, Esrange was built in 1964 by ESRO, the European Space Research Organisation, forerunner of ESA. The first rocket launch from Esrange occurred on 19 November 1966. In all 152 sounding rockets were launched from Esrange between 1966 and 1972: 72 under ESRO’s direction and 80 within national programmes. Most flew during auroral activity to study the effects of energetic electrons and ions that had been accelerated in the distant magnetosphere before precipitating along magnetic field lines in the auroral atmosphere. The programme came to an abrupt end in 1972 as part of the preparations for the creation and expansion of ESA, and ownership was transferred to the then newly created SSC – Swedish Space Corporation. Read more about the sounding rocket programme here: http://www.esa.int/esapub/bulletin/bullet88/peder88.htm
