Swedish research rocket accidentally hits Norway

A research rocket launched by Sweden Space Corp (SSC) malfunctioned and landed 15 km inside neighboring Norway early on Monday, April 24.

“It landed in the mountains at 1,000 meters altitude, and 10 kilometers from the closest settlement,” Philip Ohlsson, head of communications at SSC, told Reuters on Tuesday.

“There are routines in place when things go wrong. We have informed both Swedish and Norwegian governments,” he said.

An investigation is being launched to determine the technical details behind the unplanned route, the agency said.

“The Norwegian authorities take any unauthorized activity on the Norwegian side of the border very seriously,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said by e-mail.

In the event of any border violation, those responsible should immediately inform the relevant Norwegian authorities, which included the foreign ministry. According to the spokesperson, the ministry did not receive a formal notification of the incident from the Swedish authorities.

The Norwegian foreign ministry said it was not aware of whether there was any damage to the surroundings, while a SSC spokesperson said the rocket came down far from any settlement.

Source: reuters.com

About Miabell Mallikka

Miabell Mallikka is a journalist working with ScandAsia at the headquarters in Bangkok.

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