HSR-35 October 2004 Norwegian Space Activities 1958-2003 A Historical Overview Ole Anders Røberg and John Peter Collett ii Title: HSR-35 Norwegian Space Activities 1958-2003 – A Historical Overview Published by: ESA Publications Division ESTEC, PO Box 299 2200 AG Noordwijk The Netherlands Editor: D. Danesy Price: !20 ISSN: 1683-4704 ISBN: 92-9092-546-9 Copyright: ©2004 The European Space Agency Printed in: The Netherlands iii Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1 The Early Years of Norwegian Geophysical and Cosmic Science..................................................................................... 3 The First Steps Towards a National Space Research Policy in Norway ............................................................................ 5 Two research councils, and two ways of dealing with science administration and policy...........................................5 European politics and Norwegian priorities – ELDO and ESRO ..................................................................................7 Norway’s preparation for ESRO, and sudden abstinence from membership................................................................9 A National Space Policy Emerging Between Science and Technology ........................................................................... 11 Andøya Rocket Range and the contest to establish an auroral launch site for ESRO.................................................12 The ESRO telemetry station in Svalbard ......................................................................................................................13 Satellite development on a national, Scandinavian or international basis...................................................................15 The real-time telemetry station in Tromsø....................................................................................................................16 The second attempt at making Norway an ESRO member..........................................................................................18 A National Programme for Industrialisation of Space Technology.................................................................................. 19 The first space project for Norwegian industry: The F-9 test satellite.........................................................................20 The search for a space industry programme and new trends in national industrial policy .........................................21 Maritime satellite communication as an answer to the need for a direction in space policy......................................22 Marots, Marisat and Inmarsat........................................................................................................................................24 Norway’s Long Road to ESA Membership ....................................................................................................................... 27 Norwegian space research in the early 1970s ...............................................................................................................27 Norwegian space science in Europe and America........................................................................................................29 ESA membership rejected .............................................................................................................................................31 Remote sensing at the centre of Norway’s space effort ...............................................................................................32 Satellite surveillance for Norway’s new ocean territory ..............................................................................................34 The return to Europe ......................................................................................................................................................35 Telecommunication satellites for Norwegian purposes, and the failure of Tele-X.....................................................36 Norway towards full ESA membership ........................................................................................................................38 Norwegian Space Activities Since Joining ESA ............................................................................................................... 41 Understanding the Norwegian space sector since 1987 ...............................................................................................41 Administrative alterations and policy development within NSC.................................................................................42 The contextual conditions of space policy-making in Norway since 1987 .................................................................43 The Norwegian space sector in economic figures ........................................................................................................45 Institutions and infrastructure – expansions and new establishments..........................................................................47 Developments in space-related industry in Norway since 1987 ..................................................................................49 Norwegian space science and research projects since 1987.........................................................................................52 Education and recruitment in the Norwegian space sector...........................................................................................56 Finally an autonomous Norwegian satellite?................................................................................................................57 Conclusions and Remarks................................................................................................................................................... 59 Appendix I: Reference Literature and Background Reading ............................................................................................ 61 Appendix II: Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... 63 Appendix III: Summary of Events ..................................................................................................................................... 65 iv For the period up to 1995, the text is essentially based on John Peter Collett (ed): Making Sense of Space: The history of Norwegian Space Activities, Oslo, Scandinavian University Press, 1995. As for the activities on the European level up to 1987, our main source is J. Krige, A. Russo and L. Sebesta: A History of the European Space Agency 1958-1987, vol. 1-2, Noordwijk, ESA Publications Division, 2000. The authors are indebted to Bo Andersen, Synnøve Irgens-Jensen, John Krige, Per Einar Nilsen and Per Torbo for their comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. Ole Anders Røberg, Research Fellow, and John Peter Collett, Professor, Department of History, University of Oslo 1 Introduction Norway joined the European Space Agency (ESA) as a full member in 1987. The road to Norwegian membership proved to be long and difficult. Norway first abstained from joining the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO) in 1962, and, in a second round, halted a new attempt at applying for membership in 1967. Proposals for Norwegian membership in the reorganised ESRO/ESA were taken up in 1970 and then again in 1973, but were rejected by the government in 1974. Norway remained an observer in ESA, as in ESRO, until 1981 when it became an associate member. Finally, in 1986, the Norwegian parliament – the Storting – approved the government proposal of full Norwegian membership in ESA. During this period, Norway was, however, actively involved in international space cooperation, in both scientific research and in space technology applications. In space-related activities, as in other forms of international cooperation, Norway participated in three arenas – one Scandinavian, one European and one Atlantic (with the United States as the major power). Within Europe, Norway enjoyed privileged relations with ESRO throughout the 1960s and later participated in the Marots programme under ESA. In space research, Norway cooperated with Europe and the United States, and in telecommunication, Norway was a member of Intelsat and Inmarsat which owned and operated worldwide networks for its member countries. Since joining ESA in 1987, Norwegian space activities have mainly been focused on the efforts and payoffs within the European arena for space cooperation. However, it has also had multiple projects on an autonomous, national level and has, at the same time, continued to expand its cooperation in space-related science and industrial development with non-European partners. Since 2003, issues concerning the size and scope of Norway’s involvement in space activities have resurfaced. Norway has made very good use of its ESA membership and has benefited in terms of contracts and challenges for Norwegian technology companies and research groups. But there have also been problems in establishing, administering and maintaining activities in certain areas, particularly in space science. Only a few years into the new millennium finds Norway dealing, yet again, with the classic dilemma of small states in a ‘big science’, ‘big industry’ and ‘big everything’ context. 2 3 The Early Years