Andøya Spaceport is located at Nordmela on the Norwegian island of Andøya. Norway and the United States have signed a technology safeguards agreement that provides a legal and technical framework for U.S. commercial space launches from Andøya while ensuring proper handling of sensitive U.S. technology. ANDØYA SPACEPORT
THE WATCH STAFF
Norway and the United States have signed a deal that greenlights the export of U.S. space equipment to Norway for launches there. The technology safeguards agreement, or TSA, announced on January 16, 2025, protects the high-tech hardware of U.S. launch vehicles and payloads and is an essential milestone toward the launch of U.S. satellites from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway.
“The agreement is a major step toward making Andøya one of the world’s most attractive locations for satellite launches. The U.S. is the world’s largest satellite market. Norway and Andøya Spaceport greatly appreciate the opportunity to launch satellites for U.S. clients,” said Cecilie Myrseth, the Norwegian minister of trade and industry, according to High North News, a website published by the High North Center at Nord University.
The U.S. government has agreed to several TSAs in recent years to allow transfer of launch vehicles and satellites to other countries while maintaining export controls. The agreements, which help avert the unauthorized spread of advanced U.S. technology, have been signed with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
“The negotiations with the U.S. on the TSA have been a high priority for the Norwegian government. I am satisfied to see that we are now ready to enter into this agreement,” said Espen Barth-Eide, Norway’s minister of foreign affairs, according to the High North News website.
As nations scramble to defend their claims to the Arctic’s resources and newly viable trade routes, the strategic value of space infrastructure is increasing for the United States and other NATO countries. The United States has reportedly shown growing interest in using Andøya Spaceport, located on an island above the Arctic Circle, and expanding its space cooperation with Norway, the website said.
“This is a significant agreement for Norwegian security. Space activity is becoming more important for defense cooperation, and Andøya is of great value for Norway as well as for our allies,” said Bjørn Arild Gram, the Norwegian minister of defense, the website reported. “Norway has a leading role in space technology in the Arctic, and through this agreement, we enhance our important cooperation with the U.S. and NATO at Andøya.”
Andøya Spaceport officially opened as a commercial launch site in November 2023, but the Andøya Space Center, formerly the Andøya Rocket Range, has been the launch site of hundreds of rockets since 1962.
The spaceport is a “perfect place for launching into polar orbits,” said Josef Fleischmann, co-founder and COO of the German company Isar Aerospace, the spaceport’s first customer, the website said. He cited numerous advantages: little traffic at sea and in the air, direct access to polar orbits without entering other countries’ airspace, and no civilian overflights.
The island previously housed Norway’s fleet of P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft. In addition to the spaceport, Andøya is the site for a new Norwegian-U.S. Arctic satellite station against enemy cruise missiles, the Barents Observer reported. It also said Andøya will be the base for Norway’s new long-range drones.
In a statement announcing the TSA, the Norwegian government made clear that space technology and infrastructure are a high priority: “Long distances and a harsh climate make satellites for navigation, communication, and surveillance especially crucial. These are necessary tools for maintaining Norwegian sovereignty, economic activity, and public service provisions. Space infrastructure in the High North is a high priority for the Norwegian Government.”