Cedar Park, Texas, June 25, 2025 – Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and Firefly Aerospace are moving closer to a historic first satellite launch from Esrange Space Center in Kiruna, Sweden, following a Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) that was signed between Sweden and the United States on June 20.
The bilateral agreement, signed at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington D.C., provides the legal and technical framework for U.S. commercial launches from Swedish spaceports while ensuring proper handling of sensitive technology. This agreement – only the sixth TSA signed by the United States with another country – allows SSC and Firefly Aerospace to continue building a comprehensive satellite launch service at Esrange Space Center and meet the increasing demand for orbital launch capabilities from mainland Europe.
“I could not be more excited that the U.S. and Sweden have now finalized the TSA,” said Ulrika Unell, President Orbital Launch & Rocket Test division at SSC. “This agreement enables us to move forward into the next important phase of the infrastructure establishment at the spaceport of our Esrange Space Center – allowing for this comprehensive launch service to soon enter the market.”
Infrastructure development at SSC’s Esrange Space Center is progressing for Launch Complex 3C where Firefly’s Alpha rocket will launch. The tracking and control systems, security and depot facilities, and the Launch Control Center have already been stood up.
“Finalization of the TSA gets us one step closer to launching our Alpha rocket from Sweden and filling a void for the European satellite market,” said Adam Oakes, Vice President of Launch at Firefly Aerospace. “In collaboration with SSC, we’re building on the existing infrastructure at Esrange to move quickly and meet the responsive space needs of our NATO partners and commercial customers. This TSA agreement removes the regulatory barriers and provides customers with additional assurance that the U.S. and Sweden are committed to an orbital launch capability from Esrange.”
“Adding this capability in mainland Europe will strengthen Sweden’s and Europe’s capabilities and competitiveness in the space arena, as well as our relations with the U.S. and NATO,” concludes Charlotta Sund, CEO at SSC.
About Firefly Aerospace: Firefly Aerospace is an end-to-end responsive space company with launch, lunar, and on-orbit services. Headquartered in central Texas, Firefly is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners (“AEI”) focused on delivering rapid, reliable, and affordable space access for government and commercial customers. Firefly’s small- to medium-lift launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide the space industry with a single source for missions from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. For more information, visit www.fireflyspace.com.
About SSC: Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) is a leading global provider of advanced space services, with more than 50 years of experience. We help space organizations, research institutes, commercial and institutional actors from all over the world to get access to space. With local presence on all continents and about 700 committed employees, we offer specialist expertise in satellite communications and satellite control services, spacecraft operations, rocket and balloon systems, launch services and flight test services, as well as engineering, operations and consultancy services for space missions. We enable successful space projects within Earth observation, telecommunications, security, meteorology, navigation and positioning, scientific research and other applications. Among our strongest assets are Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden, set out to be a leading provider of satellite launch services from mainland Europe, as well as one of the world’s largest commercial ground station networks for satellite communications. For more information, visit www.sscspace.com.
Media Contacts:
Firefly Aerospace
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Swedish Space Corporation
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