On May 8th, Perigee Aerospace announced that it had signed a collaborative agreement with the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) to enter the European commercial space launch market.
The SSC is a Swedish state-owned company that carries out various space-related tasks such as communication, earth observation, weather, and navigation. The Esrange Space Center, owned by the SSC, has been operating since 1966 for purposes such as scientific research rocket launches and engine and fuel tests. Perigee Aerospace plans to launch its small spacecraft, Blue Whale 1, which is being developed for 2025, from the Esrange Space Center.
Located in Kiruna, the northernmost region of Sweden, the Esrange Space Center is advantageous for polar orbit or sun-synchronous orbit due to its proximity to the Earth’s rotation axis. If Blue Whale 1 is launched as planned from Sweden, it will be the first case of an orbital launch from mainland Europe.
Furthermore, Perigee Aerospace and the Swedish Space Corporation will also collaborate on securing and marketing European small satellite customers. According to market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the European small satellite market is expected to increase from $3.6 billion in 2024 to $6 billion in 2029. The founder of Perigee Aerospace, Yoon Shin said, “Based on the new launch infrastructure of the Esrange Space Center, we will provide outstanding launch services of Blue Whale 1 to small satellite companies in Europe.”
Charlotta Sund, CEO of SSC, emphasized, “Perigee’s Blue Whale 1 will be the first orbital launch vehicle launched from the Esrange Space Center,” and “We are very excited that Sweden can now provide commercial orbital launch services.”
Based on the suborbital test launch scheduled for the first half of the year, Perigee Aerospace plans to continue commercial space launches through the orbital launch of the small spacecraft Blue Whale 1 in 2025.
