Sweden has received criticism from neighboring Norway after its research rocket encountered a technical glitch and fell into mountains on Norwegian territory, the BBC writes.
The rocket was launched early on the morning of Monday, the 24th of April. The Swedish Space Association, which runs the Esrang Space Center, has apologized and launched an investigation. Meanwhile, Norway criticizes Sweden for not being able to officially inform about the incident.
According to SSC,
the missile landed 40 kilometers northwest of the planned landing site and about ten kilometers from the nearest inhabited place.
The scientific instrument on the rocket has been recovered and is undamaged.
Marko Kohberg, a spokesman for the Esrang Space Center, said the center was taking this deviation seriously and added that the results of the investigation were awaited. The SSC states that, in accordance with the procedure, the Swedish and Norwegian authorities were informed immediately after the incident. Norway’s Foreign Ministry has announced that it was not properly informed about the rocket falling in the mountains, nor about the operation to recover the scientific instruments. The Ministry takes activities on its territory very seriously.
The Texus-58 rocket that landed in Norway is part of a program organized by the European Space Agency.