Sweden's Space Chief Warns U.S. Launch Bottlenecks Threaten Urgent Military Satellite Plans
Sweden's top space officer, Rear Adm. Anders Sundeman, expressed concern that overbooked U.S. and European launch facilities could slow the development of urgently needed military satellites. Sweden launched its first military satellite in May 2026, four years ahead of schedule due to the 'severe security situation' posed by Russia. The satellite, built by Planet Labs, was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg AFB. Sweden plans to launch a Finnish ICEYE satellite later in 2026 and aims to have 10 operational satellites in orbit. To reduce reliance on foreign launchers, Sweden is developing the Esrange spaceport in Kiruna, which will host its first orbital launch in 2028 aboard a Firefly Alpha rocket. The article also notes a sharp increase in Russian GPS jamming over the Baltic Sea, from 55 incidents in 2023 to over 700 in 2025, and Sweden's 2020 decision to end China's access to its ground stations.
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