Firefly and SSC Space target 2028 for first Esrange launch
Firefly Aerospace · SSC Space
Firefly's Alpha rocket is set to fly from a new pad in Swedish Lapland by 2028, adding an orbital launch site to mainland Europe.
what happened
Per SpaceNews, at a June 30, 2026 press briefing in Stockholm, Firefly Aerospace and SSC Space said they are targeting 2028 for the first orbital launch of Firefly's Alpha rocket from Launch Complex 3C at Esrange, Sweden. The companies said construction of the pad is nearing completion, cited a new bilateral agreement between Swedish and U.S. regulators to streamline launch licensing, and disclosed a 209 million SEK contract with Sweden's defence procurement agency to support military satellite launches.
why it matters
A working orbital pad on mainland Europe, rather than French Guiana, gives European government and commercial customers a domestic launch option and gives Firefly a second launch site to sell against manifest risk elsewhere. The defence contract also shows a European government paying directly for dedicated launch capacity rather than only buying rideshare slots.
for who
European government satellite programs, smallsat launch competitors
signal-to-noise
quick facts
- Companies
- Firefly Aerospace, SSC Space
- Category
- launch
- Impact
- notable
- SNR
- 4 / 5
- Event date
- 2026-06-30
- Published
- 2026-07-05 08:57 UTC