A research rocket launched by a Swedish space company from the Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden malfunctioned early yesterday morning and fell 15 kilometers inside neighboring Norway. The company stated in a release that "the rocket reached an altitude of 250 kilometers, where experiments are conducted in microgravity."
Philipp Olsson, the company’s communications chief, told Reuters on Tuesday that "it fell in the mountains from an altitude of 1,000 meters and about ten kilometers from the nearest settlement." He added that there are routine procedures in place when things do not go as planned, informing both the Swedish and Norwegian governments and other relevant parties.
The company noted that "efforts are underway to retrieve the rocket's payload, and an investigation is being conducted into the technical details behind the flight path deviation."
