– It's an important day in Norwegian space history – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

The satellites will be launched by rockets from SpaceX, the space company owned by Elon Musk of X and Tesla.

They will launch next week from a base in California.

These satellites are owned by Space Norway, a state-owned Norwegian company.

– This is an important day in Norwegian space history. This is important for Norway, and it is important for us as a company, says Morten Dengs, Managing Director of Space Norway.

The project is expected to cost around US$450 million, which is less than NOK 5 billion.

Norwegian Radiation Monitor

Both satellites are 3x3x4 meters with a wingspan of 27 meters. They weigh about 3.5 tons, Space Norway writes in a press release.

Through it A highly elliptical orbit They should provide continuous broadband coverage to the Arctic.

The satellites are released from the rocket at an altitude of 160 km and can be reused before falling back to Earth in a rocket-controlled manner.

They will be controlled from an operations center in Tromsø.

A satellite carries the Norwegian Radiation Monitor to map the radiation environment in space.

– On behalf of Space Norway, I am very proud that we have implemented this huge project. Dengs says the project best showcases what we have been able to achieve and provides a foretaste of what we will achieve in the future.

The lifetime of these satellites is approximately 15 years plus 5 years of operation.

They own equipment for satellite operator Viasat, Norway and the US armed forces and the European Commission.

– This satellite project is being launched through a completely unique collaboration between partners, government and commercial interests, says Kjell-Ove Orderud Skare, Program Director at Space Norway and responsible for NRK.

Important for the Arctic

The new satellites will contribute to better and more reliable communications for many companies in the northern regions.

These currently do not have adequate communication to carry out their tasks effectively.

– This will help ensure that those operating in the Arctic will have satellite-based broadband access to the mainland and the Svalbard region, as well as from areas around North Galott, says Skare.

Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gramm (SP) says the satellite will help strengthen an important area.

– He says that the northern regions are Norway's most important strategic interest.

The government expects Norway to play an increasingly important role in the use of space in the future.

– Space-based capabilities are increasingly important to maintain NATO's operational independence in the Nordic regions. Satellite systems are important to the defense of Norway and NATO. Therefore, redundancy and reserve solutions for space-based technology are becoming increasingly important, Gram says.