‘Very severe’: Sweden by accident fires rocket into Norway

An investigation is underneath means after a analysis rocket fired from Sweden malfunctioned and ended up touchdown in Norway.

The Norwegian international ministry has mentioned its authorities take “any unauthorised activity” on its facet of the border “very seriously”, based on reviews.

The rocket, which regarded into weightlessness, had reached orbit at a top of 250km (155 miles), the place experiments have been carried out in zero gravity earlier than it went astray.

It took a barely longer and extra westerly trajectory than calculated, mentioned Sweden Space Corporation (SSC) – which was behind the launch.

The rocket and its payload got here down at an altitude of 1km in a mountainous space 15km (9.3 miles) inside Norway. This was about 40km northwest of the deliberate touchdown web site.

It landed in an space the place no person lives, and was “10km from the closest settlement”, mentioned Philip Ohlsson from SSC.

The projectile, which blasted off from Esrange Space Centre close to Kiruna in northern Sweden on Monday at 7.20am native time (8.20am UK time), was presupposed to land in an space near the border.

Work is going down to recuperate the payload and an inquiry will set up the technical causes behind the unplanned flight path, mentioned SSC.

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Mr Ohlsson mentioned procedures have been in place for when such issues go incorrect. The firm then informs each the Swedish and Norwegian governments and others.

The head of Esrange Space Centre, Lennart Poromaa, advised Norwegian news web site NRK that Norway’s defence officers had been given prior discover the launch was taking place and have been up to date when the rocket landed within the nation.

The Norwegian armed forces’ operational headquarters confirmed they obtained these two notifications from the Swedes, NRK additionally reported.