Rocket and Balloon Activities

Quick updates on current and past rocket and balloon missions at Esrange Space Center.

Rocket and balloon missions

Launch missions from Esrange Space Center are listed here

Mission	type	launch period	launched
SYSTER/COUSIN	Sounding rocket	28 October - 23 November 2026	-
MAPHEUS 17	Sounding rocket	21 September - 6 October 2026	-
ABBA 2	Stratospheric balloon	22 June - 1 July 2026	-
Suborbital express 5	Sounding rocket	19 May - 7 June 2026	-
STERN III Aquasonic	Sounding rocket	20 April - 30 April 2026	-

Years of experience

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Rockets launched

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Balloons launched

More about some of our launches

Rocket launched with a colorful sky as backdrop

Two REXUS rockets launched from Esrange

13:03 March 12, 2026

Over the course of two days, sounding rockets REXUS-35 and -36 were successfully launched from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden: The first one on Tuesday 10th of March at 07:02, and the second on Thursday 12th of March at...

Nightglow investigating rocket launched from Esrange

15:11 November 19, 2025

On 17 November 2025, at 18:46 local time, the ORIGIN-2 sounding rocket was successfully launched from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden. The Department of Meteorology at Stockholm University, MISU, conducts research in the atmosphere using sounding rockets. The rocket campaign investigates...

Mapheus-16 sounding rocket launched from Esrange

MAPHEUS-16 launched: Sets new record

13:11 November 12, 2025

On 12 November 2025, at 05:05 local time, the MAPHEUS-16 sounding rocket was successfully launched from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden. Onboard were no less than 21 experiments, a new record for the MAPHEUS program. ...